Seize the Day
by gottaluvanewsie
Summary: Gwen and Maggie have been best friends since the newsies found Maggie wandering on the street 10 years ago. When Gwen moves to Brooklyn, Jack becomes Maggie's other best friend. It is told from the point of veiws of Maggie and Gwen. READ AND REVIEW PLEASE
1. Ignoring the Delancy Brudders

Ok. This is my first fan fiction so, do not get mad at me! 

"Maggie? Maggie! Are ya gonna wake up and sell some papes or not?" A familliar voice asked in a very sweet and annoying way.

"What'd ya thinkin'?" I mumbled partially to myself. This is how it is every morning since the day I met him. I knew that within five minutes he'd have me out of bed.

"I'm thinkin' that if ya gonna sell any papes today, ya better get movin'," a smile appeared up on his face.  
"Oh no," I said aloud, knowing why he had smiled, "not this time, Jack Kelly." He got a mischiviouse look on his face. His hands slowly came to my waist and he grabbed me right out of my bed and spun me around.  
"Jack, PUT ME DOWN!" He did as I ordered and then messed up my hair, to show me who the boss was, I imagine. He laughed at how easy it was to anger me when I first get out of bed.

"C'mon and put your cloths on. I wanna make sure we get there before the Delancy Brudders do or we'll have ta fight 'em." I rolled my eyes while putting on my black pants.  
"Ya know we could just ignor 'em, right Jackie?"

"C'mon, they wouldn't let us ignor 'em. Remember what happened last time we tried that?" Oh, yeah I remember.

The Delancys were just coming out of Tibby's and Oscar said, "Well, well, well. What have we got here? Little Miss Muffet loose her sheep again?" I rolled my eyes at how stupid he was. It was, afterall, little BO PEEP! This fact was pointed out by Morris, "Aint it Little Bo Peep?"  
"Shut up, ya big moron." Jack came out of Tibby's. "Ah, if it isn't Cowboy. Snyder's been lookin' for ya, ya know? Says he's willin' to pay some money to make sure you return to ya home sweet home"  
I couldn't take it anymore, "Why don't ya go and see if you and your brudda can find a few million brain cells that ya might a' lossed when yous mudda dropped yous one yous heads yestaday?"  
"No, Mags, see, that wouldn't work. They aint ever had any."  
Oscar and Morris left with black eyes and swollen lips, we left with a swollen arm, a brused shin, and some hair out of place.

**What will happen? Find out the next time. My BFF, dreamweaver2 is co-writing this with me so...it will be written from her veiw and mine.**


	2. Brooklyn, Sweet Brooklyn

**Disclaimer: We do not own the Newsies (do you really think we'd be writting this if we did?). We do, however own Maggie and Gwen and their family memebers (except Mush).**

The wind felt crisp with the coolness of autum. The wind brushed through my mahogony hair as if it transformed to silk. The breeze carried a whiff of the Brooklyn waters. I knew I must be close to the docks. Then the silence was broken by three cat-calls. I spun around to find only two boys. On my other side were three more. The grins on their faces mad a chill run through my body.  
"Wh-who are you all?" I asked, panic rising in my chest.  
"Don't matta who wes are, but who are you?" A dark skinned boy on my left spoke, his grin grown to the size on a watermelon.  
"Hey, hey, Chris, look!" She's wearin' pants!" A pasty blonde on my right pointed out, near at the point of jumping up and down. The red head named Chris was very interested.  
"Must be a toughie...give us money or food and we'll leave ya alone, sweetheart"  
"I have neither so, leave!" I barked, gathering enough courage to rebell.  
"Fine then..." Chris threw a fist. I leaned forward only to be caught by another. I turned my torso to the left, one of my fists at my hip, the other heading for a face. I bruised my fist more than their shoulder. Then came the flying kicks. Both of them tore skin off my cheek. Then two fists caught my stomache, squeezing the air out of me. The dark skinned one clenched both his fists, striking my back, shoving me forward and into the ground. A whirl of wind buzzed, a bam of rock to someone's skin. A cool voice reached my ears.  
"Ain't yous motha eva thought ya to never hit a goil?" A boy's voice accused.  
"It's the Brooklyn leader! Cheese it, cheese it, he has wepons!" The blonde one shouted. They ran, apperantly frightend. "Phff, idiots." He jumped down from a roof. "You alright?" He asked, bending forward slightly.  
"I'm fine! I didn't need yous help! Rotten joik." I stood up breathing slowly.  
"Well, from what I saw you'dve been a vegtable in two minutes." He was probably trying to hide a smile.  
"Not true, you idiot! I was about to make an escape. You didn't need to do anything. Now cheese it, you freak!" I shouted looking at the boy. He was at least four inches taller than me with brown hair.  
"Sorry for tryin' to help ya, witch!" He shouted back. There was a long pause.  
"What is ya name?" I asked quietly.  
"Yeah. Like I'm really gonna tell a stanger that!" He chuckled. "Well, you seemed stupid enough to poke yous nose where it don't belong!" I screamed.  
"At least I wasn't stupid enough to be nearly beaten to death, let alone taking this alley"  
"It was a shortcut to get to the docks!" The silence was so long that time seemed to stop.  
"You don't need my help? Fine, but you're bleeding so, ya might wanna take care of that. Also, you'd be better off with the roofs." In two swift jumps he was on his way, but he turned to say goodbye.  
"How do I get up there?" I asked, trying to calm down.  
"Ask a boid. I'm sure they'd be happy to give ya a lift. Later, Shorty," he waved and ran off.  
"Shorty? You're barely taller than me!" I continued yelling untill I ran out of breath, which took a long time. I found boxes and used them to jump to the roofs. It was nicer up there. The pale blue sky seemed larger and higher. The wind was stronger and I could see the docks. Excitment exploded energy, forcing me to run off with full speed. I reached the docks, welcomed by many stares. I pulled a scrap of paper Jack had given me out. On it was written: SPOT CONLON and directions to get to where I was. " 'Scuse me. I'm looking for Spot Conlon. Do ya know where he is?" I asked a yong boy.  
"Oh, he's having a...'chat' with one of his allies, ova there"  
"Thank you." I walk up and tapped the supposed Spot.  
"What do you want? I'm busy!" Obviousely he was irritated with me already. My jaw dropped. It was the boy from earlier!  
"You're Spot Conlon?" I was shocked.  
"Oh, no. Listen, Shorty, I'm busy so, either make it quick or beat it." He turned back to a bronze skinned sixteen year old. "No, that's okay. Instead I'll interupt this conversation. Look, I want ya to teach me how to fight"  
Spot spun around, disbelief written across his face in big, bold, capital letters.  
"Yous what!" His eyes grew as big as the moon. "You-teach-me-how-to-fight," I repeated slowly.  
"I can't teach a lady to fight! It would be indecent of me"  
"I'm dressed as a boy! How more indecent can it get?" He looked like a fish, opening and closing his mouth.  
"Still, I won't do it," he continued his previouse talk.  
"Fine. Then i guess someone else to give 5 dollars to"  
"I'm listening..." and he really was.  
"Okay, I'll give you the money and all you need to do is teach hand-to-hand combat and weapons. For four hours a day for at least two months." "Two months!" He sighed, "How do i know you won't slack off"  
"If I don't do my 'homework', ya'll just have to punish me, but it won't happen." I smiled.  
"Fine, but...what is your name"  
"Gwen-Gwen Margret Sparrow."

**Review or we'll soak ya.**


	3. Bad Dreams

"Margret Gwenivere Efram, ya getcha skiny ass in 'ere right now!" A familliar and scary voice called from the kitchen. I didn't respond, I didn't even move.

"Margret, I said NOW!" My eyes flickered, but I still couldn't move. He came out with a glass of beer in his hand. I threw my hands over my eyes.

"No! Ya can't be real. Ya just can't..." I broke down and started sobbing.  
"Ah. Me own daughter doesn't reconise me?" the man, my father, said setting down the glass of alcohol he had just chugged and finished. He cracked his knuckles, "well, I guess we'll have to fix that"  
I ran behind the couch, he jumped over it to get to me, but I ran away. Somehow he caught up to me and grabbed my arm,"Gotcha!" His breath smealt of tobaco and alcohol, an awful mix. He slapped me hard across the cheek.

Then he started hitting me, each sting more painful then the last. The whole time I was yelling, "Stop it! You're hurting me"  
A hand softly touched my forehead and I shot up. I was drenched in my sweat.

"Are yous okay?" It took a second to process that I wasn't in my dream anymore. I looked into Jack's eyes. I licked my lips and started sobbing. He hugged me, "It's okay. It was just a dream. It can't hurt ya." His grip tightened. I quieted down a bit, realiseing I had woken everyone with my screaming and sobbing. Kid, Mush, Boots, and Race were all giving me worried looks.  
"I'm fine," I quietly said, trying to stifle my sobbing, "it was just a nightmare." I smiled to try to insure them that I really was okay. They all gave me empathetic looks and shook their heads. Jack eventually got back into his bed and fell asleep. I stared at my bedposts for what seemed like hours and finally dosed off.  
"Don't wake her up," Jack wispered, "she didn't get enough sleep last night," he paused, "bad dream"  
"Oh," I heard Kloppman say, "D'ya know what this one was about"  
"Haven't asked yet"  
"It's none of ya buisness," I maoned, "but the dream was about a bad memory. So, stop being worried about me or I'll soak ya," I rolled over on my side to see Jack ditting on the bed next to mine, putting on his shoes, and Kloppman standing next to him. I had grown to hate the look that Kloppman was giving me. That same, stupid, empathetic look that the guys had given me last night. I decided to change the subject.  
"So, Jack, watcha doin' afta ya sell ya papes for the day"  
"I'm gonna take Sarah out to dinner. It's our two month anniversery." As if I could forget. As if I could forget how it felt seeing Jack come back from the train station in Roosavelt's carrage, only to get out and kiss Sarah. Not that I'm jelouse, it just would have been nice if he'd said "hi" or something before going and stucking Sarah's face. Not mention that Jack had brought up his anniversery with Sarah to me at least five times an hour. "Can ya beleive that Sarah and I have been dating for two months?", "What d'ya think I should give Sarah for our anniversery?", "I still think that it's crazy that we've been together for two months.", "Do ya mind if I plunge this dagger into your heart, rip it out, and do the Mexican Hat Dance on it?" Okay, maybe he didn't say that, but he might as well. Once again, it's not like I care, it's just annoying.  
I rolled my eyes and wished Gwen were here. She would be able to get me out of my bad dream, bad mood aditude.  
Dear Gwen,  
I had a dream about my dad. The dreams are getting worse. This time, my screaming woke up Kid, Race, Boots, Jack, even Mush (who, as we both know, could sleep through a hurricane.  
Oh yeah, and it's Jack and Sarah's two month anniversery. If I hear Jack say anything remotely close to "two month anniversery", I want you to speak at my funeral because I'm gonna buy the noose today. I am just annoyed. So, how is training with Spotty Boy? Has he attempted strangleing you for asking too many questions yet? Wish you were here.  
Love,  
Maggie G. Efram


	4. Training With Spot

**Disclaimer: We don't own Newsies (but, God willing, we will at some point). We own Maggie, Gwen, and any other characture that wasn't in Newsies.**

"Qwen, I ain't heard that name before." Spot, my new "teacher" commented.  
"Not many people have. How old are you Blots?" I looked up into his deep entrancing eyes.

"It's Spot. And I ain't gonna tell ya till ya tell me how old you are." He stubbornly crossed his arms.  
"Fine then. I am fifteen years old." I stuck out my chin proudly.  
"Tsk, too young and too short." He shook his head.  
" 'Scuse me? What's that supposed to mean?" I shoved my hands on my hips.  
"Exactly what I said." He walked by me examining the five dollars.  
"I ain't! I've already told ya I am barley shorter than you!" I followed stomping.  
He chuckled, "Yeah, by a foot!" He grinned.  
"More like two inches." I stopped right in front of him, glaring.  
"Oy, Counts! How shorter is Shorty than me?" Counts was a tall gangly boy. He carried a large stick with different markings carved on it. He held up the stick to me then to Spot.  
"Hmm. Almost four inches. Well, I don't think we've been properly introduced, my lady." Counts bowed.  
"Don't even think about it." Spot grabbed Counts by the ear tossing him into the water.  
"Oy! That ain't the way to- treat me after- I helped ya!" Spot gurgled.  
"What does it matter how tall I am? Are you looking for a specific girl to come for you to sweep her off her feet or something?" I was trying to hide my massive curiosity.  
"Not exactly." Spot sat down.  
"Not exactly? That means I got some of it right?"  
"Are you going back to Manhattan?"  
"Uh, what?"  
"It would get tiring for you to run back and forth, so why don't you stay here?"  
"Here? I don't have a home here."  
"C'mon I'll show ya where you'll stay" The place was one level but quite large. It was able to fit at least thirty people. It was made of wood with fifteen bunk beds.  
"Do you expect me to feel comfortable rooming with thirty men!" I was appalled.  
"Well, you'll have your own room." Spot opened a door to a small room with one bed a desk and a candle. The tiny window had a perfect view of Brooklyn.  
"Oh wow! This is amazing!" I spun around excited by the thought that I had my own room.  
"Don't worry none of them fellows wouldn't dare come in here while I'm around." He seemed a little full of himself at the time.

"Who was here before?" I gazed out of the window.  
"Oh, this is a-guest room."

"Alright, so when do we start?" I hopped down from the desk.

"Tomorrow. So explore the city and um, rest up." He grinned.  
"What about you?" I cocked my head.  
"I have some things to take care of. Um, don't go down dark alleys while you're on your own. Stick to the roofs." He left.

"Wake up, Shorty! Rise and shine. C'mon now, WAKE UP!" Hands shoved down on my body jolting me up.  
"Huh? What time izzit." I rubbed my eyes only seeing blurs.  
"It's mornin'. So get up, get dressed, we are about to have breakfast." The person left my room. I sat up and looked outside. This wasn't Manhattan.  
"What happened? Oh yeah, I got my wish in getting two months of training with Blots." I got dressed and left the room. Everyone was rushing toward a table in the back. My vision cleared. "Oy! Glider! Move over a bit"  
"I can't! I'm already on the edge"  
"What's for breakfast Spot"  
"What do ya think is on the table!" Noise. Nothing but men shouting at one another. I took a seat by Counts and Glider. Glider was famous for elegant roof jumping without a sound made. I looked to see a small portion of eggs and a slice of toast.  
"Does anyone have any pepper?" I asked still half asleep. The room was silent, then a roar of laughter echoed throughout the country.  
"What's so funny?" I asked rubbing my eyes.  
"We haven't had pepper since...then." Counts whispered.  
"Then?"  
"Yeah. Spot was with a newer newsie when the bulls came round." Glider shoveled food in his mouth like it was going to sprout legs and run off.  
"They was gonna to arrest the lil' fellow. What was his name?" Counts ate neatly.  
"I think he was called, um, Wes." Glider said.  
"Oh him. Well, Wes disarmed Spot for some reason. So Spot had to fling pepper into the bull's eyes. Later Wes ran off taking Spots precious knife. So Spot hunted him down, got the knife back then shoved Wes's mouth with pepper before shoving him into the water." Counts started laughing.  
"Oh the look on Wes's face." Glider looked as if he was remembering a day when he had mounds of money. I ate quietly listening to the stories of the Brooklyners. They were all very interesting, their times with Spot. I wonder how much of a pain it would be, obviously we didn't like each other very much. I knew we could handle it, somehow I knew.  
"Alright everyone, let's go sell us some papes!" Spot announced. Everyone shouted in delight leaving to earn some money.  
"You, too." Spot gripped my shoulder leading me out.  
"Huh? What-why?" I quickly finished my toast.  
"You need to earn your keep here so, sell papes." He led me to a little shop with "Newspapers" printed on it with big bold letters.

I sighed, "Oh fine, Blots"  
"Spot! Hundred papes on the double!" Spot barked.  
"Here, next!" The man shouted.  
"Seventy." I placed my coins on the counter.  
"Well, now. Ain't you a sight! Fine I'll give you two extra papes for a kiss." The guy was clearly an eater (if you know what I mean)  
"Just give me my papes you pig!" I punctured his hand with a sharpened needle.  
"AGHHH! HERE, HERE TAKE IT AND LEAVE!" The man's voiced skipped up two octaves. I got my papes and my needle and left.  
"Shouldn't have done that Shorty." Spot shook his head, but he was hiding a grin, and a laugh.  
"Why do you say that?" I crossed my arms looking in through the paper.  
"You got spunk, I'll give ya that. I know it will be very interesting to teach you la-" Spot began.  
"Have you ever wondered if there was such thing as a invisible wedding dress?" I asked absent-mindedly.  
"What? No I-"  
"I gotta go. I'll see you later." I trotted off leaving Spot with a puzzled look on his face. I found a large crowd of very rich men.  
"Eh-hem. E-excuse me gentlemen. I was wondering if you heard the latest news in the paper." I had learned long ago how to talk "properly" from when Mush could remember.  
"Well, we read that there was a large fire at the cathedral and were just talking about that now." The eldest man rasped.

"Oh, no not that. There is a man loose around here with a bounty of ten grand. If you buy a paper you'll find it." I told it somewhat truthfully, a man was released that had a bounty of fifty dollars.  
"Hmm. I'll buy two. How much is it?" A light haired man with large teeth spoke.  
"Ten cents each." I answered.  
"Ten cents! That's an outrage!" He stomped several times in frustration.  
I sighed, "Fine. Guess you won't be able to defend yourself from the cold killer. He can't be seen and can pick locks like no other. Oh, well." I turned around pretending to leave.  
"Wait girl! I'll buy one." The old man rasped.  
"Ten cents please." I held out my hand patiently waiting. He dug through his purse and picked out the precise coins. I accepted them along with the five others that the other men gave me in exchange for papes. I bowed my head, walked up the street then dashed when I turned at the corner. The men chased after me (those who could at least) in outrage. Someone grabbed my arm.  
"What are you doing." Spot hissed.  
"Selling papes! Why have you gone blind, Blots?" I grinned.  
He frowned, "Spot"  
"Yeah, yeah." I rolled my eyes.  
"Over there!" A man shouted.  
"We need to go." I grabbed Spot's hand and ran. "Rooftops! Rooftops!" Spot shouted. He jumped up using garbage heaps as steps, pulling me along.  
"Should we keep running?" I panted slightly.  
"For a few houses." Spot paused. I jumped to roof on the left and kept running in that direction, Spot on my heels. "We can stop now." Spot pulled my shoulder stopping me.  
"Oh, thank you." I sat down.  
"What were you thinking!" Spot shouted.  
"What do you mean? Jack Kelly stretches the truth all the time!" I looked around us wondering what time it was.  
"Yeah but he doesn't rip off their money and then steal some more."  
"What? I didn't steal any money"  
"Then why was your hand in that guys pocket?" He sat down next to me.  
I frowned, "It wasn't." Pause.  
"Maybe some kid was pick pocketing for a coin or two." I whispered. Spot stayed silent. "Why do you care so much? Jack stole." I looked at him. He looked distant and troubled.  
"That was when he had to. This is different, this is stealing just to have it." He blinked the gaze in his eyes gone.  
"Well, we got a thief on our hands. So what do we do?" I asked.  
"You mean what do I do. You stay out of this." He stood up and walked to the edge.  
"What? Why?" I jumped up.  
Spot coolly spun on his heel, "Because you are still untrained and can do nothing at the moment" I pouted and leaned to one side cocking my head. A different expression masked his face, one that I hadn't seen before.  
"Fine. Let's finish selling papes and get on with lessons." I climbed down. I looked both ways, neither of them familiar. Spot grabbed my arm and dragged me in the right direction. Papes were sold, money was collected and everyone went back none the wiser. I could tell Spot was still thinking about the thief possibility. It worried me a bit, but it angered me more for him to say that I couldn't do anything.  
"Oy, Blots! NOW are we going to do lessons?" I asked sounding irritated.

"We need to do one more thing then we will." He smiled a smirk and raced off to find Glider. At home everyone was splitting their money in half. I walked around and found Counts with a metal box on his lap.  
"Hey Counts. What's going on?" I sat down beside him.  
"Oh! Hey Pepper. Spot has everyone put half their money to food." Counts began excepting coins from people.  
"Wow, that's, wait, Pepper? Since when was I Pepper?" I asked separating my own money.  
"Ever since this mornin'," He chuckled, "We knew that Spot called you Shorty and that you hated it. So, we thought it was best to give you a name. Now that I think about it you never told us your real name." Counts explained.  
"It's Qwen, I thought Spot told everyone." I handed him half my money.  
"No he didn't. Anyway it'll be fun having you around." He shook my hand once and got back to his job.  
"Is that everyone?" Spot asked.  
Counts counted up the coins, "Yup. We're done here, now don't do anything crazy while you two are out." He grinned. The other guys laughed and "oohed.  
"Ah, shaddup, Ma." Spot led me out of the door.  
"Finally lessons. So what do we do first"  
"First to warm up we'll do roof jumps. Then after that we'll start with the basics.  
"What? Oh, fine you're the teacher." We climbed up to a roof higher than the ones we were on before.  
"Follow my lead, and uh, don't fall." He leapt gracefully as if his feet were feathers on springs. Following him was harder than it sounded. He moved quickly without so much as a tap. I, on the other hand, only had two choices; move quietly and slowly or fast with the stomps of my feet.  
"Oh, c'mon Shorty. You can do better than that." He called.  
"I just make a bunch of noise! How do I not?" I shouted.  
"Think you are a feather and nothing else." He stopped ten yards ahead waiting impatiently for me. I inhaled and exhaled slowly trying to clear my mind of thoughts. I pictured a feather, curved, white as snow, pure as an angel. I jumped again and again. Before I knew it, Spots was staring at me in the face.  
"What?" I asked. He gazed at me in a wonder that made me feel uneasy.  
"You sure learn fast. Okay, now, you see that peaked roof by the water?" It looked like a Chinese temple without walls. "That's where you'll learn. So get a move on." We made our way to the temple. It was above water without a hole anywhere. "Let's begin. Through a punch, don't cock your wrist like that. If you hit something you'll just hurt yourself. Keep it level, now try again." Spot made sure that I did not do anything wrong.  
"Okay, here's a tip I learned from an old friend of mine. If you use the heel of your hand and thrust up into someone's nose you'll probably break the nose." He showed me how to use this technique. Throughout the punches he criticized me so often, it was like I did everything wrong. "No, no, no! You're still doing it wrong! Geez! Why'd I accept your offer?" He walked around covering his forehead in one hand shaking his head.  
"Don't shout at me! You ain't exactly a very good teacher." I scoffed.  
"Well, you ain't a good student." We stared at each other, for who knows how long. He thought I was going to learn these quick and easy, but I wasn't.  
"How high-"  
"What color is mahogany?" I interrupted.

"What? A- red brown mixture. Why?"

"Well, is it a redish-brown or a brownish-red?"  
"Does that matter?"  
"If it's a redish-brown that means there's more red than brown. If it's a brownish-red there would be more brown than red." I explained.  
"Never mind. How high can you kick?I kicked about to my waist.  
"Okay we will also do leg stretches. This is going to be a long four hours." He gazed at the ceiling as if he talked to gods.  
"Two." I corrected.  
"What?"  
"There's still two ours left"  
"Do you think there's such thing as a green light?"  
He laughed, "Let's get this over with"

This training went on for about a week. I had gotten to know Spot better. He was seventeen, used to have a sister until something happened and has known Jack Kelly for five years and drew pictures. I strutted back from my evening stroll. I whispered whispers and laughs inside the house. I opened the door and walked into a dead silent room of grinning boys.  
"What's going on?" I eyed them suspicion written plain across my face.  
"Nothing." They said in unison. I knew almost exactly what they were talking about.  
"Nothing? I doubt that from the looks on your faces. Don't worry I'll leave you guys to your 'lady' chat. Not that I approve, but I never knew a thing." I grinned evilly and I closed the door to my room. I saw a charcoal picture that Spot had done. It had a blurry figure of a woman, sitting ontop of a lake during the full moon. I looked closer and saw that it wasn't a woman but an angel. She held her head in her hands. There was a knock on my door. I looked up from the detailed drawing.  
"Pepper? Can I come in?"  
"No Counts! Last time you stole my clothes! What's so important to be coming in here so late at night?" I forced a grin back. It was quite a battle of chase to win against Counts.  
"It's a letter." I jumped up and threw the door open. I was welcomed by the sight of every guy in this house. "Geez, I knew you wore men clothes, but at night too? Ooh. You are strange" I snatched the letter from Counts, eyeing every newsie. I slammed the door and tore apart the envelope. I smiled at how well Maggie knew me. I felt as if I hadn't seen her in years.  
Maggie,  
I'm so sorry about your nightmare! Well, if you shake Mush long and hard enough he'll wake up. Maybe something like that happened. Anyway, it's just a dream it won't come true. Even if it's a prognosticate dream it doesn't always turn out the way someone thinks. Besides isn't your dad dead? I'm sorry that I'm not around at a time like this. I'll come home soon, (hopefully) but I will come back! So DON'T worry, everything is all right. Have you told Jack?  
Training with Spot has gotten harder, but it's good. He still hasn't stopped calling me Shorty. Also he is not Spotty-Boy. But then again I shouldn't even say it considering I call him Blots. Everyone else calls me Pepper.  
I think he's at the point of strangling me, but it feels like something's holding him back. I can't explain, let alone know what I mean. It's strange living with a bunch of guys without you. Don't worry I have my own room! I also have the "protection" of Spot. Tee-hee. It's funny how he thinks he's all high and mighty. Enough about that.  
Has Jack driven you crazy with the 2-MONTH ANNIVERSARY? Don't kill me. So, how do you feel about him and Sarah? Whenever I try to talk to about it you always say something else like "do you think frog legs taste good?" or something like that. I REALLY want to know!  
How's Mush and the gang? Anything strange going on? There's a thief in town, but Spot says I can't help. GRRRRRRRRR it frustrates me!  
Well, I hope to see ya soon.  
Qwen

I sealed the envelope and gave it to the mail runner, Dash. I walked back into my room getting ready for bed. There was a slight thump on the roof. I opened my window silently and cautiously crept out. It was Spot! He had some types of weapons on him, looking around like a fox. Then he sprinted off on some kind of mission.  
Against my better judgment, I followed trying to blend with the cold night, run as if I had wings, and plan a course of action.

**Review or we'll soak ya (no kidding, we will...we know all).**


	5. Poor Itey

**Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies so, yeah.**

"'Ey, Song Boid, wanna, ya know, hang out sometime?" Bumlets blocked my way, smirking. Mush came up behind me.  
"There a problem here, Bum"  
Bumlets's eyes widened, "of course not, Mush." He turned on his heels and left.  
I turned around, "Hey, big brotha. What? Are yous takin' out ya brothaly duties on me since your real sis is in good ol' Brooklyn or somethin'?"

Mush smirked, "ya know Jack would'a soaked 'im if he'd tried anythin' on ya." I knodded, remembering when Itey had tried something on me. Poor Itey, he couldn't sit for weeks. Mush and I got some dinner from the kitchen and talked.  
"Yeah, but if it were a redish-brown, it would be more brown then red." The door swung open and a red faced Jack stood in the frame.

"Jack?" I walked up to him, "how was the big date?" He moved past me and up the stairs. I looked at Mush, who shrugged. I walked up the stairs. I got up there to find that Jack was doing push-ups.

"Jack?" He got up and went over to his bed. "Jackie, what's wrong?" I saw his eyes get watery. I sat beside him on the bunk bed. "What happened"  
There was a long, painfull silence. Jack looked at me. Right as I was about to open my mouth to repeat the question when he spoke, "Sh-she broke up with me." He put his head in his hands. I rubbed his back with my right hand.  
"I can't believe the nerve of her," I said, partially to myself. I hugged him. I had only seen him this upset once before. It was when he had heard that his mother had died of tuberculosis. This worried me. Last time he got this upset, he went through not eating, not sleeping, and, what worried me most, drinking.  
I left the room with him on his bed, staring off into space. Mush was at the bottom of the stairs. "She broke up with him"  
Racetrack's face appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Mush and Race stood there in disbeliefe. "No, nuh-uh." Mush shook his head.

I knodded. "C'mon," Race said with a smirk, "quit joshin' us"  
"I'm not! He's pretty bent outta shape about it"  
"Well, he should be," Mush spoke. I raised my eyebrow. "He was gonna tell 'er he loved 'er." My jaw dropped. My heart broke.  
"What?" I asked breathlessly.  
"Yeah. He was gonna tell 'er tonight," Race chimed in, "but...why do you care"  
I blushed and turned away, "nothin', no reason. I was just surprised is all." I wanted to cry.  
Mush smirked, "sure, we believe you."

I glared at him, went back upstairs to my bunk and tried to go to sleep. "Santa fe, are you there? Do you swear you won't forget me? If I found you would you let me come and stay..." Jack sang, probably thinking I was asleep. A tear rolled down my cheek.

2 weeks later  
"Maggie? Mags, WAKE UP!" Mush shouted in my ear. I knew it was Mush for two reasons. First, nobody calls me Maggie except 3 people: Jack, Mush, and Gwen. Secondly, he is the only guy who would dare to yell in my ear.  
"BACK THE HELL OFF MUSH!"

"Language, Mags, language," Mush grinned.  
"Shuddup." I got up slowly and grabbed my cloths. I went into the bathroom designated especially for Gwen and me. I changed into my white blouse, black pants with suspenders, and my black newsboy hat. I braided my silky, long, black hair. Little strands fell into my face, but I wasn't about to mess with it.  
I walked downstairs and strait out the door without getting breakfast. I started to walk to get my papes when, suddenly, David came up to me in a huff.  
"Where is he?" David angrilly asked.  
"Heya, David. Where's who"  
"Ya know damn well who." I was shocked. David never used that type of tone, let alone say damn.  
I made a funny face, "Jack"  
"Yeah Jack"  
"Why"  
"Oh, please! Don't tell me you don't know"  
I started to loose my temper, "What? That your brat of a sister broke his heart"  
"She broke his heart? Nuh-uh!" He looked really pissed, but so was I!  
"Oh? Then rell me why the hell he was gonna say he loved her? Hmm?" I looked at him coldly. He stayed silent. "Why is he up in the bunks right now, crying?" My voice rose to slightly under a roar, "Huh? Why"  
David looked up at me, "don't you see what he's doing? He's makeing you believe that Sarah broke up with him so he would get your simpathy"  
I glared at him. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT! JACK WOULD NEVER"  
" Please, you still think he tells you the truth? Song, he didn't even tell us his real name!" I got blind sighted by anger. I grabbed his shirt and took it in my fist.  
"What'd yous say?" He pushed me back.  
"You heard me loud and clear." I slapped him. He punched me and I retaliated by a kick to the shin. Then he gave me a black eye.  
"David?" Jack's voice echoed threw the ally. David and I both stopped and turned to look at him. Jack's face was bright red, as if he were ready to explode with anger. "WHAT THE HELL?" David got a dirty look on his face.  
"You!" David ran and pushed Jack to the ground. Jack bounced back up and grabbed David's sholders. He tossed him to the right. David used his leg to knock Jack to the ground along with him. Once on the ground, he pushed David on his back, got up, and put is foot on David's chest. I felt paralyzed. This was the first time in two weeks that Jack had gotten up out of bed.  
"Jack, don't"  
"Why did you hurt her?" Jack demanded, glaring at David. It took me a minute to realize that he meant why did David hurt me.  
"Why did you hurt her?" Jack released his foot from David's from David's chest. He looked at David as he got back up. Once he got back up, Jack hit him square in the jaw"  
"David, GO!" I barked.  
"No"  
"David, GO NOW!" David gave me a look and walked off, limping. I pulled Jack by the arm back into the lodging house and back up the stairs, ignoring the greetings from the other newsies. I sat him down on my bed. Without a word, I went to the water basen, grabbed a rag, and dipped it into the cool water. I came back with the soaked rag to see that Jack hadn't moved, except to twist his head to look at me. I helped him take off his shirt and under shirt. His back had peices of gravel in it. I began cleaning it off as he gasped at how bad it hurt. "Why'd you have to go and do something as stupid as that?" I asked him softly.  
"I saw him hit you from out the window after I heard you yell," he replied, equally soft.  
I sighed, "so"  
"What'd you mean 'so'?" He turned to look me right in the eyes, "I'm not about to let any stupid guy hit you." I couldn't help but smile and get butterflies in my stomache.

Then, I remebered what Mush had said, "He was gonna tell 'er he loved 'er." Those eight words froze my heart and shattered it. Jack put his hand on my sholder. "Are yous okay"  
I knodded. I turned away and wiped a tear from my cheek. I stood, "I have to go-go sell papes"  
Jack looked up at me and knodded. I ran back down the stairs and out the door so no one could see the tears streaming rapidly down my face. I quickly got my papes and sold them off. After selling papes, I was heavily contemplated going to Tibby's, but decided that I was too tired to. I went "home" instead. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs by Race.  
"A kid named Dash, a Brooklyn, dropped this off for you"  
"Miss Maggie G. Efram,  
Mahatten Newsboy's Lodging House" was written on the envolope in Gwen's dainty handwriting.

Excitement rose in me like the temperature on a hot summer's day. I ran upstairs to my bunk. I ripped open the envolope, noticing that Jack wasn't in his bed. He must have gone out, I thought unfolding the letter, good for him. I quickly read her letter. I wrote back;  
Gwen,  
Well, I have always wondered frog legs taste good. Not that that is terribly important, given current circumstances. Sarah broke up with Jack, yes, on their two month anniversary. Jack, Mush told me, was gonna tell her he loved her. So, what do I think of Sarah? I think that she's a self-absorbed, promiscuous, little brat. As for Jack and Sarah, he deserves way better than-

Jack stomped up the stair. He got to the top, "heya, Margret-y!" I went white. He was drunk. He started snorting and stumbling towards me. I went over and helped him to our bunk (his bunk was the top bunk, mine was the bottom bunk).

When we got there, Jack leaned me on the bunk and kissed me stongly and passionatly. I leaned into him. My insides flopped around. I remembered he was drunk and gently pushed him away. "What's wrong"  
"Jack, you're drunk and on the rebound," I said, full of regret, "I mean nothing to you right now"  
"No," he put him finger to my lips to hush me, "no, I do, I really care about you"  
I wiped a tear from my cheek, "Jack, no."

Jack knodded, looking like a child who had just gotten a lecture from an angry parent and went up to his bed. I waited a couple minutes untill I heard Jack snoring to write again.

-her He just walked here drunk and kissed me. And David hit me. It's not been a good day.  
My bad dreams are getting worse. Except, something has changed about them. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but it feels like they are getting darker. I don't know.  
So, they're calling you Pepper now, huh? What'd you do to earn that pretty little nick-name? Let me guess, you made the building explode via pepper bomb. Anyway, call Spot "Spotty-boy" really loud. He'll know why.  
See you soon,  
Maggie G. Efram

PS. DON'T DO ANYTHING YOU'LL REGRET!

Even though I already knew she would. I heard somebody running up the stairs. Race appearedat the top of the stairs. "Song Boid!" He exclaimed, trying to catch his breath, "I had a brilliant idea"  
I laughed. The last time Race had a "brilliant idea", it involved setting the Newsboy's Lodge house on fire.

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has commented (and to everyone who hasn't...you suck...jk). As always, your constructive criticism is mucho appriciated-o. To Coley Bear...I finally got it up so...your turn! I love you guys!**


	6. Dealing With Thieves

**Warning: Chapter good. Chapter also veeeerrrryyyy long! Kayl spend two hours proofing! People be weird to read in one sitting. Kayl getting annoyed of cave man lingo. We not own newsies...so...Cave-Kayl simmering down for next chapter. DONE!**

Chapter 6

Dealing with Thieves is never an easy battle

The moon showered me in silver light, the night's cold air bit into me like a pack of enraged wolves. I tried to ignore it as I followed Spot into who knows where getting myself into who knows what. My hand fumbled in my pocket trying to grasp my only weapon. I remembered that I left my needles on my desk. I cursed myself trying to focus on what I had to do. "Well, I should at least find out where we are or what he's doing." I thought. "But I have to prepare myself for something!" A different me argued. "True but we don't have any weapons. If I get killed because of it I'm blaming Spot. Nothing I can do. Phff... He may be right though."

My thoughts were interrupted when I realized Spot had stopped. I crouched down hiding behind the point of the roof. I pondered many thoughts about what he was thinking at that moment, what he had planned to do, what he was going to do. He disappeared from view. I slowly crept from house to house scanning everything for signs of other people. I reached the house Spot was at. I looked both ways and saw nothing. Then I heard it. I first thought it was a bunch of dying cows attempting to sing. I soon realized that it was the sound of a group of drunken males. I looked around again but saw nothing. "Their underneath me! It's probably some party or-"

"Theem gails face hic looks so... funny. Ya shoulda seen it. She was all 'ahh' and they was all 'grrr'. They were soo hic plurple. I got lots of clinkies." There was the clicking of money and lots of it. The boy sounded young, Les's age maybe a little older at most. I hopped down near the window to hear more clearly.

"Yea. I proud o' ya, boy. I very p-proud of boy." There was at least five boys all completely drunk. I hopped down to a dark window right underneath. I knew that this must be the ones who stole the money. I barley peered over the top to see the fanciest room ever. It had big fluffy pillows, chairs, blankets and more than anyone needed, including mountains of empty liqueur bottles and more unopened. I assumed it was all stolen.

"This is probably where Spot was going to. Where is he? Probably planning the best way to ambush their place. What do I do? Maybe I should wait... no. I have a better idea." I felt the window behind me. Locked. I gingerly walked along the wall checking every window to see if it was open or not. Then I found a random door, the fire escape must have been torn off. It was poorly made with holes in old wood. I pushed it and it broke in half. I tiptoed inside the dark corridor keeping one hand on the wall. My footsteps were slow but somehow seemed to mildly echo. I searched for stairs leading up. I passed many doors with people saying things that I wished I had never heard. I finally found something metal and thin. I turned and placed one foot in front of me. I stubbed my toe from hitting the stair too hard. I hopped around in little circles clutching one foot until I nearly lost balance. I bounded up for the next floor. I could barley see any better up there. I passed many doors, all dark and filled with snores or silence. Then I found it, at first I thought it was just talking. Then I heard the befuddled laughs. Using a thin metal piece and a slender piece of wood from the floor, I attempted to pick the lock without success. I poked a tiny hole and peered through it to see a large dark area used as a kitchen. The tablecloth was of fancy shiny material I didn't recognize. There were plants everywhere, all poorly cared-for. I tried again to pick the lock again, hearing the soft and satisfying click of victory. I slowly opened the door, cautiously snuck in, nearly closed the door and took a good look at my surroundings. There were two doors on the opposite wall, one to the left, one to the right. The door on the right led to the room with the drinkers. I opened the left door and looked into a room that was a study now made into a bedroom. There was a door on my right leading to the room with the laughing and slurred talking. I looked around to see plants, fancy object, and empty bottles. This was definitely a house of men. In a way I was relieved. They clumsily stood up and headed for the kitchen. They laughed as they talked about the subject no girl would ever want to hear, especially from their boyfriends. I weaseled my way to the main room. I had no idea what I was doing. I found a small purse with at least eight dollars worth of coins in it. I tucked it into my pocket and started toward the bedroom when I got myself in the worst trouble I was ever in. They came back in, almost four drinks in each hand. (I'm surprised they stayed conscious for as long as they did). I froze. "Well, looky 'ere. I don't realize that someone got a prostitute." An older, chunky boy laughed. He lunged for my chest. I grabbed the first thing my hands fell on, which turned out to be two bottles. I slammed one into his face. He howled and blindly grabbed at me. I threw a punch up at his nose hearing the horrifying sound of the crunch as his nose broke. Another guy with jet-black hair and beady eyes took out a pocketknife gashed my arm. Using my heel I kicked him in the gut, forcing the air out of him like a toy. A boy shorter than me grabbed my hands and pulled them back as another punched several lazy shots. I defended myself by thrusting my right foot up behind me paralyzing the boy in the worst physical place someone can hit. I pushed my elbow back into his stomach, then my fist into his face. It was no good. They kept coming, kept hitting, kept kicking, and kept cutting. I was totally screwed. I was surprised when I heard the air whizzing around me and not at me. I opened my eyes to see Spot creaming these guys using his gold capped cane as his weapon. At the time I was in awe then I felt useless, powerless, and furious. So I decided to get in on this action...again. Before the fight could progress to a more deadly point the cops came. The thieves panicked for a second. Spot and I crashed through the window out onto the building next door. We quickly walked along the side of the wall. "They're coming after us! Keep going!" Spot shouted. We turned a corner and I climbed up to the roof. I looked back to see four chasing after us, the chunky one shouting through the window. I pulled Spot up and jumped to the next roof. As we leapt from one house to another we heard the cops following all six of us bellowed at us to get down. My breath fogged in front of me in soft white clouds. I grew more and more tired. Spot knew that I was slowing down. He seized my hand forcing me to continue. We jumped to the ground and ran like madmen. We turned down one alley than another with the four at the other end. The cops were following us using the dogs to catch us. "They probably think we're with them!" I grew frantic. Spot hurled us back to the roofs, turned in the other direction and sprinted off. Spot stopped, crouched down by the corner below the roof. I sat next to him panting trying to regain all air I lost. "The cops got 'em." He paused to catch his breath, "What were you thinking? Are you crazy?" "Speak for yourself! What were you doing? Sneaking out with weapons covering you." My eyelids fluttered as I realized that it was late and I hadn't gotten any sleep. "I was going to find those guys, soak 'em then hand 'em over to the cops! What were you doing coming after me?" "I heard you sneak out so, I followed out of curiosity. I lost you, but found them and decided to do something. So, I snuck in found the money and they thought I- then we started fighting." "What did they-" "What do you think they'll do to 'em?" He blinked, "Who?" "The thieves." "Oh. Well, most likely they'll lock 'em up for a while. We don't have to worry about them. Why did you follow me?" I paused thinking about what the best response would be. I sighed. "You really-" I yawned, "got to me when you said I couldn't do anything. When I saw you leave. I didn't think and just followed you. Here," I took out the pouch of coins, "I got a present for you." I closed my eyes for a second when I opened them again. I was leaning on Spot. I closed my eyes again and fell asleep. Spot's P.O.V She fell sound asleep. She looked so different than she usually did. She seemed so innocent and sweet (as impossible as that sounds). I watched the cops drag the thieves into a car and drive off. I took one more look at her before I picked her up bridal style, gingerly placing her on the roof as I clambered up. I paused. I wish time could just stay like that, me studying her trying to understand this new vision of Gwen. It puzzled me that she could be so annoying by day but the opposite by night. Snapping out of my trance, I picked her up and headed for home. I think it was that night when all my thoughts changed. At home I opened the door with my foot. I walked in, then looked at everyone. Surprisingly, most of them were awake. "Er- hi... what are you all doing awake?" My eye twitched slightly. "Wow! Congratulations! I didn't know you guys had a thing!" "Sure are getting married early." "You got yourself a real looker Spot." Twenty nudged me in the ribs. "I'm jealous of you." Counts smiled sadly. "Jeez, had to knock her out to get her to marry you? That's sad." "He wouldn't sink that low... right?" "She looks to different unconscious." "You could have told us!" "All we would have done is through you guys a party!" A good number of guys whistle and howled. Others grinned like fools slapping me on the back telling me how lucky I was. "No, no, no, no, no! We do not have a 'thing'... and we did NOT get married. She followed me and passed out." I placed her in her room gently. The others "oohed" and laughed. "NOT THAT WAY!" I shouted realizing I probably woke Gwen up. Thankfully she didn't. I closed the door and turned back to the room. They smirked and whispered about something beyond a line that I had no intention of crossing. "Alright. Let's get this straight. G-Shorty and I aren't together and if you think not I'll soak ya." I declared threateningly. I could tell that the room struggled to keep silent. I went to bed only to hear everyone to laugh and tell one another what they really thought. I shoved a pillow on my head falling asleep praying that this was just a dream. Oh, if only wishes worked like that. Gwen's POV My eyes fluttered open. I stared at the ceiling my mind blank. "How'd I get here?" I sat up, only remembering Spot questioning me. I dressed and walked to the main room rubbing my eye. "You're up late." Glider commented. There was only Glider, Spot, and Counts that were awake. I usually woke up before everyone to go on a walk. I looked around still trying to wake up. "What happened last night?" I asked. Glider and Counts exchanged looks of pure enjoyment. Spot turned a light shade of pink and hit them both on the back of their heads. "You fell asleep after the cops caught the thieves-" "Wait you guys were chasing thieves? You never told us that!" Glider was completely appalled to not have been told a story with fighting and hopefully explosions. "I was just getting to that. Besides I was chasing thieves. I specifically told Shorty to forget about that days ago." He glared at me. "Well, I did do something! So shove a sock in it, Blot! I gave you the money they stole!" I snapped. Counts and Glider turned toward Spot with accusing eyes. "I didn't do anything with it"  
"So what happened to it?" Counts raised an eyebrow.  
"It's right here." Spot pulled the money out of his pocket and handed it over to Counts.  
"Wait...when I was in there house, where were you?" I studied Spot critically.  
"I had called the cops before I left. I was planning that I would soak 'em and hand them over"  
"I know what your plan was. I asked where were you." I was growing rather impatient.  
"I was in the apartment next door"  
"Wait...we need some filling in here." Glider looked at Spot then me then back at Spot. We told the story in less then two minutes.  
"Oh...I see." Glider murmured softly, thoughtfulness printed on his face.  
"So, how did I get back here if I was asleep?" I glared at Spot.  
"I carried you home"  
My throat closed up. "You carried me home? That's...it right?" I croaked. I could tell I was blushing. "That's all." I felt reassured...for the most part. The way Glider and Counts were looking at each other said something different. Something I didn't want know about. "Um... I guess it's my turn to cook, right?" Counts got up and began to cook pancakes. "So... what do you usually do back home?" Spot spun his cup between his hands. "Well, Maggie and I usually sell papes together. Go to Medda's just because or something." This was a bit awkward. "Maggie...you talk about her a lot. What she like?" I usually don't talk about her unless it ties into something funny, which it usually does. "Well, she's called Songbird. She decided to go sing with Medda because she was upset or bored one of the two. The guys and I went looking for her and ended up listening to the song. Then Jack came up with the name Songbird." "Why the bird part?" "Cause she sounds...like a bird I guess." "What kind of bird?" He chuckled. "A- bluebird. I don't know! Why are you so suddenly interested?" I tried to look him straight in the eye but he wouldn't meet my gaze. "She's your friend and you talk about her a lot. Besides you don't talk much about your life in Manhattan, except in short stories that I usually can't follow. I just want to know. What's wrong about that?" I sighed, "You could have just asked straight forward." "Okay. Tell me about your life in Manhattan." He smiled sat back waiting for my long story to begin. I told him so much about how Songbird and I met, the pranks we pulled, how we sold papes, and how she was the sister I never had. "Oh, there was this prank we pulled on my brother-" "You never told me you had a brother." "Yes I did." "No you didn't." "Yes I did." "No you didn't." "Yes I did." "No y-" "Whatever. You remember Mush right?" "Oh, yeah him from the strike." "Yeah, that's my brother. Spot placed his hand on top of mine, "I feel somewhat sorry for you." Spot grinned. "Thanks. Anyway, Mush had just taken a bath after some hard work. So Maggie got this crazy, but brilliant, idea. We put a bucket of molasses over the door while he was taking his bath. When he came out the bucket poured the molasses and he slipped and waved his arms around like he was trying to fly. Then Jack came in and slipped knocking them both down. The funniest sight I had ever seen." Spot laughed. I liked how hearty and full his laugh was. It made me feel proud that I could make him laugh like that. "They looked like cats that just had a bath. They started chasing us so we ran our legs off. Mush kept slipping, but Jack would not give up. He finally grabbed Maggie around the waist holding her captive." I was surprised when Spot gasped. He seemed to be getting attached to Maggie, and he hadn't even met her. They would be great together, with them both being so sarcastic and all. I thought about setting them up on a date. Before I got too deep into thinking about it I continued my story. "So I started kicking Jack and trying to unhook his arms from her. Then Mush came up and captured me. So I was fighting Mush while Songbird had to deal with Jack. Maggie and I looked at each other. We both bit them hard in the arm maybe a little too hard." Spot cringed slightly, "How hard?" "I think they were bruised pretty badly. Either that or they were bleeding." I couldn't help but to smile. I continued, "Then we kicked them hard in ... specific area." "Ooh. I feel really bad for them." He tried to suppress a grin. I grinned myself. "Then we ran off laughing into our bathroom." "Wait you had your own bathroom?" Spot was shocked. "Yeah. All of the guys kept telling Jack how awful it was to share a bathroom with us. So they built another one." I remembered how special Maggie and I felt. Then I realized that the others were awake and sitting beside us. "How long have they been here?" I whispered. "Who?" Spot looked around, "Oh." He laughed. "Wow, I never realized I could talk so much." I chuckled. "Neither did I." Spot smiled. "Breakfast is served!" When we bought our papes I noticed something interesting. "Spot!" I shoved the article into his face. His eyes grew wide as he read on. The picture had six people four a house behind and Spot and I in front. "Nobody's gonna be able to tell that's us." Spot whispered. I looked worriedly at him, "You sure?" "I'm sure. It was way to dark to get a decent picture. Now just go on the day as you would normally." Little did we know that someone did know. They wouldn't tell right now, oh no. They just wanted to watch us for a while. I sold as many papes as I could, making almost two dollars. I forgot my worries with the thought of training just a few minutes away. "Hurry up, Shorty we need to get going." Spot shouted through the door. "Just a second." I quickly handed Counts the money and began to trot off. Counts grabbed my hand in his. "Whenever you're done with your class for today, could I talk to you?" His big hazel eyes pleaded. "Sure thing, Counts." I smiled. He then did something that made my stomach twist, my eyes grow in shock and my face look like a cherry. He kissed my hand. No guy had ever done that. He let go and I trotted out trying not to run. "Jeez, took ya long enough." Spot uncrossed his arms and began to walk a brisk pace. "Yeah, whatever." I said absentmindedly. "You okay Shorty?" Spot frowned and tried to see through my long curtains of hair. "Sure, I guess." "Tell me." He jumped to the roofs and sat down waiting for an explanation. I climbed up but continued standing staring at the horizon. "Nothing. Let's just go." I ran off at a hard pace. I didn't look back knowing that Spot would be giving me a worried look. I knew he was looking at me like that now. It felt like his gaze was burning a hole in me. I soon realized that Spot had passed me. I frowned wondering if I was just imagining the feeling. Shaking it off we finished or route and headed for the temple for hours of training. "Today we'll begin combinations, then test your knowledge in a one on one battle." Spot said drinking some water. "One on one?" "Yeah. I figured that a battle with me would let me see how you are with instincts." "Well, you're the teacher." I shrugged. Spot smiled for whatever reason he had. Then he began the complicated series of kicks and punches. I struggled to keep up with his pace and doing everything correctly. That usually didn't work out to well. Spot stopped me several times to help me correct my mistakes. Two hours of that and I was exhausted. I was panting harshly, my cheeks were flushed, sweat covering my face. Spot and I sat down practically chugging down the flasks of water. "You're doing well. You still have a ways to go, but your doing well." Spot breathed deeply. "If I'm doing as well as you say I am, don't go easy on me." I gasped. "What do you mean?" "You've always gone easy on me and I don't like that! I've felt that I was never good enough for you to go your full extent! I want you to not hold back!" My anger burst in that sentence as if I was a pot if boiling over of hot water. I breathed deeply, thinking about what I just said. We both stayed silent. I was thinking about how stupid I sounded while Spot was thinking about what he had just heard. "If you want me to do my best, I will." He stood up taking a fighting stance. I blinked several times wondering if he really just said what he said. Coming to my senses, I copied him. We stood there still as stone gazing into each other's eyes, trying to seem bigger, stronger, more intimidating. I began the battle. I first threw a punch at his left jaw. He blocked, then striked my stomach. I took this opportunity to take his right hand turned in counterclockwise and gave him a swift kick on the back of his knees forcing him to kneel. He spun on the ground, catching my feet. I gritted my teeth and jumped up, retaking the fighting pose. Spot mimicked me. I kicked up, aiming for his face. He caught my ankle and spun me like a top, shoving me face down. He was going to thrust down onto my back when I plunged my feet up into his stomach, tossing him over me. He, somehow, landed on his feet. I sprung up. Before I could regain focus Spot hit me in the cheek and kicked my stomach, releasing all air. He was about to high kick me when I captured his foot and punched his jaw. Spot flipped over, tossing me around using his hands as his feet. I loosened my grip enough that he wriggled out. Spot quickly forced me into a head and hand lock and tackled me to the ground. Keeping me in place, he managed to flip me over and place his foot on my neck. I raised my hands to symbolize that he had won. We stayed in breathing deeply. "You certainly have gotten stronger. I can't remember the last time I was tossed over like that." There was a pause. "Thank you. Extra practice with Glider certainly did pay off." I stood up. He took one look at me and I could tell he regretted it. He grabbed a small white bag and shoved me down in a sitting position. "What are you doing!" I shouted my eyes wide. "I'm so sorry." He began to wash off a few cuts from my arm. The wounds from the thieves had reopened. I winced as he tied a white bandage to my arm. He continued to clean and bandage the wounds he could see. "I had no idea that you'd be so badly hurt." "It's- ah-okay...this is what I paid you to do." I curled over placing my head on my knees. Spot saw the blade gashes on my back as the blood slowly stained my shirt. "Don't kill me for this." He lifted the back of my shirt up examining my injuries and began cleaning them. It was a good thing he couldn't see my beet red face. He would have laughed and teased me. "At this rate I'll be a white cast." I was in mid-laugh when the pain kicked in again. I cringed. "I'm sorry." "Please don't feel bad, I asked you to do this. Plus, most of these were from last night." He placed my shirt gently down. "But they reopened cause of me." He took my hands to help me stand up. "Stop it. It's not your fault." I said firmly "It is, though." "Shut up! It's not." I punched him lightly on the arm. "Fine, fine. Class dismissed. But in order for me to let this go, you have to do something for me." We started walking back to the Lodging house. "What? If it's what I'm thinking, I won't." "You've been around men too long." "Sadly yes... but it's so fun to annoy them." "Getting off subject." "Man! I thought it would work this time." I whimpered. "You have to tell me what's bothering you." I stopped. The memories flooded back into my mind. I began walking again to not attract attention. "Before we left- um... Counts said he wanted to talk to me when we got home." I licked my lips. "That's it?" Spot crossed his arms. "N-no. He then... kissed my hand." I stared at my shoes. "And that's bothering you?" Spot suppressed a laugh. "Since no guy's ever done that, of course it bothers me!" "Well, then your just gonna have to get used to it." Spot grinned evilly. He took off his cap pressed it against his heart, bowing and kissing my hand. I could feel the heat in my face, like the flaming sun. Spot stood up straight only to curl over from laughing so hard at my facial expression clutching his gut. "I'm sorry. I really am." Spot burst out laughing again. I punched him in the shoulder making sure that it hurt. "OW! I'm-" It was no use he just kept laughing his head off, making himself look like a lunatic. He seemed hysterical and I seemed like a cherry. "Let's go, Blots." I said coldly, grabbing him by the shoulder dragging towards the Lodging house. "It's Spot." He gasped. We reached home. Spot had finally stopped laughing, but could not stop grinning like an idiot. He kept looking at me and remembered what I looked like and stifled his laughs. I glared at him. "I truly am sorry." His smile grew. "You are a truly bad liar." I snapped. "If I was a bad liar, I wouldn't have sold as many papes as I did." Spot opened the door. I stood still breathing deeply. Spot stopped in the doorway. "Ya coming Shorty?" "Stop calling me Shorty." I walked passed him. "HEY! Welcome home you two!" "Didn't get into any trouble, right?" A newsie asked jokingly. "Oh, shut up." I sat down on the table. "Oy. What happened to you?" Glider seized my arm to see a bandage near the elbow. "I was too slow." I tugged my arm from his grip. Counts came up beside me. "Can we talk now?" He whispered. "Sure." I followed him into a corner of the room. He thought about the best way to approach the question. He fumbled his thumbs a bit before he decided to just say it. "You and Spot aren't..." Counts coughed in his throat staring at his hands. "Aren't...dating, right?" "What? No! What gave you that idea?" I grinned, looking him straight in his troubled eyes. "Nothing. It's just- nothing." Counts looked down at me, smiled and walked off. "That was unusual." I thought nothing of it after that.  
It was a half an hour before dinner when Spot came out of the bathroom. He was wearing a nice old black jacket over his best clothes; his hair was neatly parted down the center. "Oy! Spot! Where you going looking oh-so-fancy?" I looked him over with a critical eye. He had taken a long shower, combed his hair thoroughly and had shined his shoes. I knew it was something important.  
"He didn't tell you?" Glider looked at me bewildered. "Tell me what?" I raised one eyebrow. "He's going on a date tonight." Counts jumped on my other side, smiling evilly. He received the look of death from Spot. "You never told me you had a girlfriend." I looked back to Spot. "She's not my girlfriend! Besides this is only the third date!" He slowly inched to the door. "Who is she?" I asked propping my head on my hands. "What's it to you?" He snapped. "Fine, when did you... oh." I remembered about a week ago while we were selling papes, Spot was talking with some prissy blonde. "Was she the blonde one?" I asked. "Her name is Cathleen, but yes." Spot answered. "Well, have a good time and um- don't do anything incredibly stupid. 'Course I know you will." I beamed. "Gee, thanks." Spot scowled and left in a bit of a hurry. "YOU'RE WELCOME!" I shouted happily after him, waving for no reason. "You love making his life miserable don't you?" Glider smiled. "Not miserable... just more interesting." I beamed. Glider shook his head grinning. "What's so funny?" I asked spinning around. "It's just that... I dunno I guess it's just nice to see someone pick on him without getting a bloody nose." Glider stared at a spot on the wall. "Spot would do that?" I was surprised mainly because I had never seen him give one of the newsies a bloody nose before unless they did something terribly bad. "Well, okay not a bloody nose but he'd punch us in the arm or something." "He probably doesn't do that to me because I'm a girl. For some reason guys never hit girls." "You speak the truth o' wise woman from Manhattan." Counts raised his glass to me and took a long swig. "What do you mean by that?" I turned toward Counts eager to hear a story. "I've just have had a lot of experience." "He really has." Glider chuckled and sat next to Counts. "Shut up." Counts punched Glider lightly on the arm. "How so?" I wrapped my hands around my knees. "I've had many bad girlfriends in the past." "No kiddin'." Glider scoffed. Counts punched him in the arm again, "Okay, okay, I'll shut up now." "Like I said, I had many bad girlfriends. Most of them manipulative or just plain cheaters. Some how they always slapped me and told me it was my fault. I could never hit them back, even when I really wanted to and when they really deserved it. I have never been able to figure out why." Counts chugged down the rest of his drink. "This is how I see it. If you did hit them and someone saw they would immediately take the girls side. They would cry and pout and say something like, 'he said I was a s-slut' or whatever. And if no one was around then they would tell someone and make it seem like it really was your fault." I shrugged. "Wow." Counts and Glider somehow seemed awed. "What?" "How do you know all of this?" Glider looked at me suspiciously. "I'm a girl I know more about this stuff than you do." I shrugged again. "She has a very good point there." Counts said to Glider. "What's that smell?" I sniffed the air. It smelled like someone was burning something. "The food!" Glider jumped up running toward the stove. "Can I help?" I hopped up. "Sure thing." Glider took something off waving his hand over it. "What's that?" I asked looking into a pot of a brown liquid with some chunks in it. "Chicken broth. I almost left it on there too long... would have tasted weird. Chop up the vegetables and put then in the other pot." I began chopping up carrots, skinned potatoes, tomatoes, something green, and something white. "I thought you said you had most of dinner done." I looked at Glider. "Shut up and finish chopping those up, people are very impatient." Most of us stayed up waiting for Spot. "What do you think happened?" I whispered. "I bet my money on that he broke up with her." Glider whispered. "Nah. I bet that they're going to have another date." Counts murmured. "No way. I think she broke up with him." "A girl breaking up with Spot Conlon? Impossible." "Nothing's impossible." I said firmly. "So you do think she'll break up with him?" Glider leaned against his knees. "No. I just said it was a possibility. She won't break up with the most famous Brooklyn newsy. Being his date makes her noticeable and somewhat famous herself. Once she knows she is, then she'll break up with him." I remarked. "Are you sure your fifteen?" Counts eyed me strangely. "Yes I am. Why do you ask?" "Sometimes you seem much wiser than someone who's fifteen." Glider stared at me. "Girls are just automatically wiser." I gazed blankly at the door. "But men are stronger." Dash snapped. "That isn't always true. Besides, both are needed to succeed in life. If one doesn't have the other something will go wrong. But they would be better off with brains so that they can get off of a crummy island." "Thank you, Confucius." Glider muttered. The door creaked open, and Spot walked in coolly. Everyone sat up straight expecting news. Spot took off his coat tossing it on the table. Sat down and kicked up his feet, his hands behind his head. "Well?" I was growing impatient. "Well, what?" Spot pushed his cap down covering his eyes. "What happened?" Glider asked. "We went to dinner and then she wanted to go dancing." Spot mumbled. "And?" Counts pursued for answers. "She wants me to come to her house when I can." Spot really didn't care. "Her house. Hmm that's a weird request." Counts thought. "What do you mean?" I glanced from Counts to Spot. "This is only the third date and she wants you to meet her parents." Counts scrunched his eyebrows. "Or something else." Glider grinned. Spot hit him. "Never mind this just go to bed." Spot ordered. We didn't want to pour water over an angry kitty so we did as we were told.  
Spot's P.O.V.  
It had been three weeks and a day since she first came to Brooklyn. Training with Gwen was just as hard as when it started. I would still not confess that I drew those, and I planned to never tell. Selling papes had been average most of the time, but we were used to that. The boys and I were eating breakfast when Gwen's door slammed open.  
"I'M LATE!" She ran to the table and stole some of my food.  
"HEY! Where you going?" I shouted over to her. She just looked at me, smiled, and ran out of the door.  
"If only I could tell what she was thinking." I muttered.  
"You should be able to, since she's your wife." Twenty grinned.  
"I keep telling you, we did not get married! We aren't even in a relationship!" I stabbed my fork into the table.  
"Fine... your secret lover you eloped with that you won't tell anyone." I punched him in the arm. Everyone started laughing.

Gwen's P.O.V.  
It was Spot's birthday today. Counts, Glider and I decided to meet while everyone was eating breakfast to plan the surprise party. I was late. I arrived to the bakery with toast half in my mouth.  
"I'm here." I gasped and collapsed into a chair.  
"Jeez, you're late." Glider commented.  
"I know, I know." I gobbled up the toast.  
"So, we need beer." Counts said.  
"What is it about men and beer?" I rolled my eyes.  
"It's a party, what do you expect?" Glider leaned back on his chair.  
"Fine, just don't get drunk. I hate it when men get drunk"  
"Okay, Counts, Twenty, and I will make the food while everyone else sets up decorations or whatever." Glider concluded.  
I grinned to myself, "I need to go get something, I'll see you guys later"  
I left leaving them to ponder the wonder that is my complicated mind.  
"I have a surprise for you today." Spot whispered smiling. "What kind of surprise?" I raised one eyebrow. Spot just smiled and continued to shout headlines. We sold papes, split our money and headed out. "What is it, Blot?" I asked looking up at him. "Spot. And it's a surprise." "Then why is Glider with us?" I looked at Glider, curiously mouthing him to tell me. He shook his head. "You'll see." Spot grinned mischievously. I crossed my arms stubbornly and pursed my lips. We continued walking down the street. Spot grabbed my arm. "In here." He nodded toward a small door that was barely noticeable. He opened it and we slid in. We walked down a dark hallway with one light on. It looked creepy, but it didn't feel that way. We reached another door. Glider covered my eyes. "What are you doing?" I asked smiling. "It's a surprise." Glider and Spot answered. I heard the door open and we walked in. Glide removed his hands from my face and I saw a beautiful sight. It was a room with hundreds of weapons. The room had everything from slingshots to old swords to millions of chains in all different sizes. I was in awe. My throat tightened from excitement. "THANK YOU!" I squealed. I jumped up hooking my arms around Spot's neck making us collapse to the floor. "You're welcome." He wheezed trying to sit up. I stood up blushing from my strange action. Glider knocked himself over from laughing. "You really mean it?" I stood up looking around the room, picking up different objects. "I do. Pick out one and we'll begin with that. Depending on whether or not you do well, I will determine how many weapons you learn to use." Spot stuck his hands in his pockets. "What kind of chains do you use?" I asked picking up what looked like a bow and arrow. Glider and Spot looked at each other and started laughing. "What?" I picket up arrows that had to tips. "N-nothing. Just us guys and our minds." Glider gasped only to begin laughing again. I rolled my eyes picking up the staffs. Once they calmed themselves down (which took a good long while) they waited for me to choose the weapon I would like to learn first. I ended up choosing the bow and arrow. "This is a fairly easy one to learn to be quite honest. You can bring one other weapon along and we'll see how for we get. Glider, grab the target we're heading out." I carried the bow and arrows and a staff while Glider picked up the large multi-colored target. We walked back to the training grounds. "Leave the equipment here. Glider will keep watch of it." Spot began walking off to the roofs. I followed my heart in the clouds. The "gliding" was much easier than normal. I had actually passed Spot by houses. I couldn't wait to gloat at him later.  
"Jeez, Shorty. I haven't seen you this excited since I excepted your offer." Spot called. "I'm not excited, you're just slow." I shouted back. His jaw dropped.  
"You better run goil." He began chasing after me. I yelped and sprinted laughing. I saw Glider and I jumped down only to be tackled by Spot. We were sprawled on the ground, laughing our hearts out. We quieted down to giggles when Glider walked beside us with a grin from the sun to the moon. Then we realized that people were staring at us. We stood up regaining air. "L-let's get started." Spot burst into another heap of chuckles as everything was being set up. He tried to get the serious look on his face that he usually had.  
"Okay, first of all you hold your bow on its side when you're loading your arrow. Let it rest on the plate. Okay, now draw back. No don't put your thumb on the arrow and only use the first knuckle of your first two fingers. There you go." He watched as I released the first arrow missing the target by a foot. I sighed. "Your arm was shaking when you released that. Try to keep it steady." He walked over to my left side lightly drawing the arrow back with me. We freed the arrow letting it land on the red line. I smiled at him. "Thanks, I think I've got it now." I returned to the task at hand, not knowing there was a conversation about me just behind me. "It's the little things like that, that makes me wonder why you two aren't together." Glider smiled. "It's never gonna happen Glider. You know that." Spot sat down swigging some water. "No, I don't. I see how you two act. Sure, you have your problems, but every couple does." "We're not a couple." Spot snapped. "Sure." "We aren't. I have a girlfriend. Besides I've seen how Counts looks at her. He's going to ask her out." "What if she said no?" "What do you mean?" Spot looked at Glider as if he were crazy. "I mean what if she rejected him or he never asked her. What if you didn't have a girlfriend? What would you do?" Glider was surprisingly wise at that moment of time. Spot stayed silent not knowing what to say. "Why don't these arrows have tips?" I asked after all of the arrows were stuck in the target. "I don't think you want to kill anybody while practicing, do you?" Spot answered. "Point taken. So are you doing anything special for you birthday?" I tore out the arrows and started again. "No. Cathleen wanted to go out, but I told her I would another day." Glider poked Spot in the ribs with his elbow. Spot smacked him in the back of the head. "Okay." I began my rounds again and again. I had gotten two arrows into the small yellow circle. We never got to the staff that day, but I was very proud of myself... and proud of how much of an impact my surprise would be. We walked back to the house in a small conversation about headlines and what they should have had articles about. We opened the door to the Lodging house and were welcomed by the cheers and laughter of the newsies. I pulled out the bags of pepper and a strange contraption from underneath the table and began to work. Everyone was dancing and singing (some very good, others very drunk) and enjoying themselves, wondering when the food would be ready. "Soon! We're having chicken, vegetables, with beans and cake for dessert." Counts called. I was adding pepper to my concoction when someone tripped over me. Bags of pepper were added with the horrifying sound of hissing. "DUCK AND COVER!" I shouted. I curled up into a ball my hands over my head. A pepper explosion filled the entire house nearly blowing off the roof. My eyes stung as I looked up. Everything had layers of pepper over them. People included. I laughed as I looked around at the stunned faces of the boys. Everyone else joined in. "SHORTY!" Spot walked over to me brushing off the pepper from his clothes. We stood there for a moment. "Er...happy birthday Blot." I smiled. He began laughing and gave me a hug. "Awwwwwww." The boys cooed. "Shut up." Spot muttered turning back to the game of poker. That was one of the best nights of my life. We stayed up late, ate, drank, and played games. I showered and went to bed early, smiling at the genius that I am (more like at the stupidity of me.) I woke up the next morning to see people laying everywhere in every possible position. There was still pepper everywhere. I only thought then about how much work it would be to clean this up. "I'll just have to make everyone help." I thought. I began to clean up the kitchen and get ready to cook. It wasn't the worst breakfast I had made, but it wasn't very good. The bacon had black streaks on it, the eggs were still a bit drippy and the toast was slightly burnt. I was surprised when everyone ate it without complaining and teasing me about it.  
The day proceeded as normal. Selling papes, training, going home. We came home and Dash ran up to me with an unusually large envelope. "It's from Manhattan, Pepper." "I'll be in my room for a while." I rushed into my room shredding the envelope. I quickly read it, my eyes growing wider and wider.  
"OH MY GOD!" I squealed after reading her letter. My door sprang open with everyone staring at me. "I'm sorry. I just got some very interesting news." I closed the door and began writing.

Maggs, TELL ME EVERY SINGLE THING! Sarah broke up with Jack, no big surprise, but he kissed you! Okay maybe he was drunk, but still! I have never been kissed so, to me, this is very exciting news. Why did David hit you? Next time I get there, I'll break is nose for you. Do you think your dreams mean anything? What were your dreams exactly? You never really explained what they were and I want to know. Anywho.  
Pepper? A pretty little nickname? HAH! That's funny. Wait... how did you know I, okay not explode the building, but how did you know I made a pepper bomb? And it wasn't my fault! It was only going to be a small one. Someone bumped into me and I accidentally added about three bags of pepper in it. Sorry, but I've already done things I regret sooo... too late! For one, I hugged Spot when he told me we'd be starting weapons. DON'T YOU GIGGLE AND MAKE KISSY FACES 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU ARE! Second, Spot and I were chased by thieves (look in some really old papes you might find something about it). Counts kissed my hand I was blushing practically the entire day. And then Spot kissed my hand just to see the look on my face!  
And last, I cooked food. I really want to see you very badly!

I rubbed my fingers against the parchment, thinking about what else to write, revealing a second piece of paper.

To: Anyone who wants to come (mainly to Spot and Gwen) From: Racetrack (idea was his) and the Manhattan Lodging house Why: Sarah broke up with Jack and needs to cheer up.There will be beer and lots of fun!

I read the big bold letters that were printed on the top and bottom of the invitation.  
"SPOTTY-BOY! WE'RE INVITED TO A POKER GAME AT THE MANHATTAN LODGING HOUSE!" I shouted running into the kitchen. I blocked Spot's hand, as he subconsciously was about to hit me. He quickly let his hand fall to his side. "What did you call me?" He asked, his dangerously quiet. "Spotty-boy." I smiled ignoring his tone. "Don't EVER call me that again." Spot commanded threateningly. "Why not? I think it's cute." I grinned evilly. "That's exactly what she said." He looked away form me.  
"She"  
"Forget it." He crossed his arms and stuck his chin up.  
"If you don't tell me I'll keep calling you Spotty-boy." I crossed my arms. It was now a battle of will. He cracked. We walked into my room to talk privately. "So?" I sat down. Spot paced around a bit mumbling to himself. "Just get on with it." I rolled my eyes. Spot sat down next to me. I could tell he was troubled, but he didn't want me to know that. So I tried to sit silently and patiently for his answer. "She always called me that, especially when she was teasing me. I hated it. But she always did even when I kept telling her not to"  
"Wait, who's she"  
"She is Songbird"  
My jaw dropped open.  
"You know Maggie?" I was shocked.  
"Yeah"  
"Did you guys ever...date?" I asked praying for the answer.  
"No"  
"I see." I smiled to myself.  
We sat quietly. I stared at the floor noticing a floorboard that was missing three nails. I pried this open to see something very interesting.  
"Whose room was this?" I asked looking around.  
"I already told you, it's a quest room." Spot stood up and began walking around the room again.  
"I won't believe it." "Why not?" Spot sounded really bored.  
"Because I found a doll in one of the floorboards under the bed"  
Spot stopped. I took out the doll. It was really old and hand-made. The doll had brown yarn for hair, and a green button used for an eye that was missing. The pink dress was a dusty color. Spot took the doll.  
"You recognize it?" I asked.  
"Yeah"  
"Whose was it?" Spot paused.  
"It was my big sisters"  
I waited for him to continue.  
"She made this when she was young. She eloped with her boyfriend after she found out she was pregnant. Never seen her since." Spot sat down handing me the doll.  
"I'm so sorry. Do you know what happened to her afterward?" "I think she drowned trying to save her husband. The baby, I want to believe, is still alive." Spot stood up again and headed for the door.  
"I'm sorry I-I shouldn't have said anything." I looked at my feet.  
"It's okay, let's just move on. Write back saying we'll be there by at least Thursday"  
"Sure thing." Spot left and I continued writing.

And looks like I get to. A poker game to cheer Jack up. Tell Race I said that he is surprisingly brilliant. You never told me you knew Spot! What happened? God, I feel like I don't know anything. Anyway, we'll be there around Thursday. I really hope no one gets really drunk and does something incredibly stupid. Did you know about Spot's sister? I can't tell you now, maybe when we have time to ourselves without the guys. I also have something else I want to tell you!  
So I'll see you sometime this week.  
3 Gwen Margaret Williams

**A/N (from kayls): I luv this chapter...CHAINS! I am in love with this chapter...Soo Bo Boo, got anything to add?**

**A/N (from Shrewy...don't ask): Okay, I've probably pissed off our readers from writing 17 pages of  
Qwen's adventure in Brooklyn but hey I don't know that for sure. Anyway,  
review saying whatever you want even if you're just saying you hate it.  
I only want you to say something that you think we should change or  
what you liked.  
REVIEW PLEASE! (Puppy dog face)  
Pw-pwety p-p-p-p-pwease?  
LOL!  
Enjoy!  
**


	7. Please Tell Me You Slept With My Sister

**Warning/Disclaimer: Once again...very long. Also very enjoyable. We don't own it...don't bother asking!**

10 Years Ago  
A skinny little girl lay huddled in an alleyway, weeping. Her ribs were

perfectly visible through her white, tattered nightgown. She hugged her

bruised legs to her chest. A boy, about six, walked up to her. He crouched

down and patted her back.  
"'Ey, goil, are you'se okay?" The girl looked up at him. Anyone who had been

a spectator of this moment could have noticed this one thing; they both

had piercing blue eyes. Her face was in a bad shape, covered with bruises

and cuts, tear soaked, a fat lip and black eye.  
"I hoit...I hoit badly." Her voice was a painful whisper. She put her head back

down on the pavement and stared off into space.  
"Can you'se walk?" She didn't look up at him again, but slowly shrugged.

She moved her arm and tried to get up, but to no avail. The boy pushed

his thick, blonde hair from his face and picked her up. Normally, it wold

have been difficult for a 6 year old boy to carry a 5 year old girl, who

matched him in height. Yet, the girl, seemingly, weighed less than a

feather. Luckily, the place the boy had in mind was right up the street.  
When the girl woke up, she was in a soft, warm bed in a lovely, blue room.

A girl, around 15, sat beside the bed, knitting something. The little boy

quietly came in, looking somber. He whispered to the girl, " she awake yet?"

The boy and the older girl bore a striking resemblance. They both had the

same smile, the same blue eyes, and the same blonde hair, hers coming

down to her waist.  
"No, she hasn't."  
"Hmm?" The girl sleepily rubbed her eyes and tried to sit up, but it hurt

too much.  
"'Ey! Good mornin'!" The boy smiled down at her.  
"Hmm," was all the girl could say.  
"I'm Spot," he whispered, bending over and stroking her hair.  
The little girl smiled, "I'm Maggie."

Maggie's POV  
My eyes flickered open at the memory. DAMN IT! That's the seventh time

this week. It was bad enough that Gwen was hanging out with him to

have my memories filled with him too! My hair was soaked with sweat. I

got up and walked to the bathroom. I could still feel the cuts and

bruises...but that was so long ago. "That isn't me anymore! I'm not her!" I

told the mirror sternly. Suddenly, the face that haunted my dreams

appeared. I looked into the mirror, "FATHER?" His face glowered at me.  
"You still the same child."  
It, at the time, didn't seem weird that an invisible reflection was talking to

me, it had happened all too much previously. "No, I am not, father."  
The reflection laughed, not in a relaxing way, and stared me down, "jist

'cause I ain't the one hurtin' ya?" He shook his head, "girl, you traded one

imprisonment for anudder, runnin' away da way ya did."  
"I didn't run away!" I snapped, "you left me in an ally to die, remember?"  
"Shame ya didn't." A tear ran down my cheek. I punched the mirror and it

shattered, shards cutting into my hand. I took a brush and violently pulled

it through my hair, not caring about my bleeding hand. I washed my face,

trying to clear my head. I walked out of the bathroom to realize that it

was still dark out. I decided to take a walk.  
I walked all the way to Medda's. I sat outside the building and just let my

thoughts drift above the grim covered buildings to the sky, which was

turning lighter by the minute. My heart was filled with dread. Jack hadn't

come home last night. The past five nights, he'd come home drunk, only to

give me big, sloppy kisses that would have made me giggle in delight had

it not been for the voice in the back of my mind saying, "he doesn't love

you, he's just using you." Maybe my father's reflection had been right,

maybe I had exchanged being abused by him for having my heart

stomped on by the only two guys I had ever...never mind.  
I put my head down on my knees and began to cry. "He doesn't love you,

he's just using you." Everything went black.

"D'ya think she's still alive?" I heard a worried Mush ask above me.  
"Mush, she's breathing! Of course she's still alive!" That was Media. My

eyelids felt like two tons of lead. I slowly opened my eyes to a blur of color.  
I rushed to pull my arms over my face.  
"What time is it?" My voice was slurred. I noticed that my hand was still red

from blood so, I put it gingerly behind my back before Mush or Medda

could see.  
"'Bout Eight." Mush dragged me to me feet with my uninjured arm. If he

knew, he wasn't letting on. I wobbled and staggered around, trying to

balance myself.  
"What are you doing here?" Medda took my other arm.  
I quickly pulled away, "I woke up, decided to go on a walk, and fell

asleep." I stood still for a moment. Sure as the day had dawned, I saw no

other than Gwen strolling down the street. I clumsily ran over and hugged

her, almost knocking the two of us to the ground. I looked at the boy next

to her and uttered a word that Jack only uses when he is drunk.

Right in front of me stood my personal hell on earth; Spot. My face grew  
hot.  
He scratched the back of his head. "'Ey...Maggie."  
I kicked him between the legs and stomped off.  
"MAGGIE?" Gwen was clearly appalled. I didn't look back.  
"Look after him for a minute." I heard her whisper Mush.  
"MARGARET QWENIVERE EFRAM! YOU COME BACK HERE AND EXPLAIN WHAT YOU'RE THINKING!" I was shocked that Gwen had used my full name.  
"It's nottin'." I answered sourly.  
"Kicking Spot between the legs is NOT nottin'." Gwen snapped.  
"Why do you care?" I stomped down the street heading for the Lodging House.  
"Because we were invited to the game. When we get here and already someone gets hurt." Gwen pulled my arm back. I could tell she had gotten stronger.  
"You were invited, not him." I faced her. She may be shorter than I was, but her eyes were frightening.  
"We were both specifically invited. Now tell me why you did that!" Gwen's face was stern and angry. I couldn't tell Gwen the truth. It still hurt too much. I just looked away from her.  
"GO ASK SPOT!" I ran faster than she did. I always did. She can never catch up with me. I took a left turn down to the Newsboy's Lodge House.  
I was greeted by my fellow newsies, "Songboid! You're up! Were was ya? We's thought that yous been kidnapped or summit." That was Specs. It was easy to ignore him as I stomped up the stair to find Jack, asleep on his bed, in the fetal position. I smiled lightly and ripped the covers off of him. That woke him up. Jack has never really liked the cold.  
"What the-" He screamed. I interrupted him, my eyes blazing.  
"GET THE HELL OUT OF BED, JACK!" My usually soft voice was more demanding than usual, even though I was fighting back my tears. Jack looked up at me, startled.  
"Maggie? You okay?"  
"NO! NO, I AM NOT OKAY, JACK! GET THE HELL OUT OF BED OR I'LL SOAK YA, JACK! I SWEAR I WILL!" He looked at me in pure fright. He swiftly hopped out of bed. Mush came up the stairs, as had every other newsie, with Gwen and, to my distaste, Spot.  
"What's going on!" Mush looked from me to Jack back to me.  
"NOTHING!" I stomped out of the room not wanting to say a word about what I wanted to scream from heaven...  
"Okay Spot, since Maggie won't tell us why don't you?" Gwen turned to Spot. Spot looked away from her.  
"I don't know if she would like it if I told ya." Spot looked at the ground frowning.  
"Fine!... Can we guess?" Gwen was beyond the point of threats and would practically do anything to find out what was going on.  
"Why'd she wake me up?" Jack was pale and shaking slightly.  
"Spot?" Gwen was running out of the little patience she had left.  
"I don't know if now is the best time. Besides, you'd want to hear it from Maggie." Spot walked out of the room.  
"God! Does no one answer anymore?" Gwen was losing it stomping out.  
"Um... well since you're up Jack why don't you come on downstairs." Specs said pulling Jack downstairs. Everyone followed glancing at one another.  
"I don't want to go downstairs." Jack whined.  
"Ah, c'mon. We have a poker game." Racetrack teased. Jack looked deep in thought. "Why else do you think Gwen and Spot are here?" Mush asked on Jack's other side.  
"Thought They's was just visiting." Jack shrugged.

Regular Pov  
Spot walked downstairs. Both Maggie and Gwen were in there, fuming. He couldn't help but smile. Gwen's face was burning bright red.  
"Are you two gonna tell me what's goin' on or not!" Gwen was angry and was on the verge of killing someone.  
Maggie looked at Spot. Spot looked at Maggie.  
"Tell her!" Maggie was also angry.  
"NO! She's your best friend, you tell 'er!"  
Gwen grabbed Spot by his ear. "TELL ME, SPOT!"  
"Ow! Okay!" he screamed in pain. Spite his words, Gwen didn't let go of his ear. "But let go of me ear!" Gwen released his ear disappointed that she let go.  
He sighed. "You sure it wouldn't be better for you to tell 'er?" Gwen grabbed for his ear. "OKAY! Fine!" He glared at Maggie. "Fine. Remember da strike?" Maggie smacked him on the back of the head.  
"O' course she remembers, numbskull!"  
"OW! Fine! Well, Maggie and I sorta dated." Both of them looked down in embarrassment. Gwen's eyes were wide with shock.  
"But-" Gwen stopped to catch her breath. "You- you said that you an' Maggie never went out!" Maggie glared at Spot. "I was gonna tell ya, I jist didn't want for you'se to git mad at me..." there was something in his voice, something only Maggie caught, that made him seem like he really didn't want Gwen to be mad at him.  
"YOU THINK I'M NOT MAD NOW!" Gwen's usually quiet voice was at a shockingly high volume. "SPOT, YA LIED TO ME!"  
"I'm so, so, so sorry, Gwen." Again, there was a tone Maggie caught in his voice that was regretful and sad. Maggie suddenly blinked, her eyes filled with tears.  
"There's more Gwenny, tell 'er, Spot, tell 'er how we broke up!" Maggie's voice was rising in anger and she couldn't control her tears.  
"I-" his voice broke as he turned his attention on Maggie, "I cheat- cheated on 'er." The room was quiet. The newsies had, once again, come down stairs to see what wasn't they're business. "But I did it for a reason, Maggie, if you'd jist let me explain."  
No one had seen that one coming. Sure, they all knew Spot was a ladyâ€™s man...but to cheat on her...no one even ever knew that Spot and Maggie had dated, not even Jack, who leaned on the banister, speechless. "Explain what?" Maggie was crying, "explain how you broke my heart?"  
She dashed out of the room, being the closest to the door. Gwen was the first to disturb the silence.  
"YOU JACKASS!" This was the first time Spot had every heard Gwen cuss so loudly. He didn't think of it much since she slapped him.  
"I really regret taking her on that offer." Spot didn't move. He knew what he did was terrible, he just wished someone would let him explain. Gwen followed Maggie out.  
Silence. People outside could be heard as if they were right next to them.  
"You are so dead." Racetrack breathed.  
"It's not what you all think." Spot muttered.  
"Then please, explain." Mush was white in hearing his baby-sis curse someone so passionately.  
"Please go into details." Racetrack chuckled nervously. No one was in the mood to laugh. After what had happened, no one was in the mood to laugh. Everyone slowly sat down waiting for Spot to explain the tragic story.  
"But...not in front of Jack." Everyone turned to look at Jack. He was red with anger. He shot a look of resentment at Spot and stomped off. Spot sighed.  
"Good. Maggie would 'a killed me if I'd said this in front 'a 'im!" He looked at everyone's angry faces...and Crutchy's smiling one. "Okay...foist 'a all, none a' dis leaves dis group...okay?" They all nodded. "Okay. Maggie and I started 'dating' when we was all on strike. Maggie an' I had been friends since forever and it started growing into more. We was gittin' along wid eachudda fine." He sighed and shook his head. "But, when she was asleep sometimes, she said Jack's name and such. Finally, I realized...that Maggie loved Jack. She always has. She still does too, I think." No one even took a breath. They all started at Spot with wide eyes. "Finally, I saw how bad it was killin' 'er. She was one a' my best friends, and as much as it killed me to know that she didn't care about me in dat way, I wanted her to be happy. So...I gave 'er an easy out." He paused for a moment, trying to think of how to word the rest. "I cheated on 'er. I cheated on 'er so dat she'd find out an' be happy with Jack. And then Sarah..." He didn't have to say the rest. They all knew.  
"Is that all the surprises for tonight?" Racetrack asked, smiling slightly.  
"As far as I know, yeah." Spot answered.  
"Well actually... I have something to tell you all..." Mush waited for the suspense to build, "I'm a gay lesbian." Mush smiled as everyone cracked up. Gwen followed Maggie up thee stairs and to their bathroom. Maggie was doing her best to hold back the tears without success. "I can't believe it," Gwen whispered rubbing Maggie's back. "Why didn't you tell me?"  
"I knew how much you-you wanted to s-see Spot to have- him teach you." Maggie sobbed.  
"I love how you care about me so much, but you should have told me."  
Maggie continued crying.  
"Is their anything else you want to tell me before the night continues?" Gwen asked soothingly. Maggie nodded. She took a deep breath, "two things. One," she stopped to cry some more, "one, my dad's not exactly...dead." Gwen looked at Maggie incredulously. "Two," she continued, "I lo-love Jack." Her voice was barely a whisper as she wiped her eyes. Gwen smiled kindly trying to contain her excitement.  
"When did you figure this out?" Gwen nearly chuckled.  
Songbird shrugged.  
"Good for you." Gwen patted her back supportively. Maggie looked up at Gwen with red, puffy, and curious eyes.  
"You figured out who you love, me... I'm not exactly one for love I guess." Maggie noticed that Gwen's eyes were sad behind her smiling mask.  
"It's not my place to tell her." Maggie looked back to the floor.  
"N-no, it's not good. Jack's in love with Sarah."  
"But she broke up with him." Gwen tried to catch Maggie's eyes.  
"He was going to-" Maggie burst out again in a fit of tears. The pain was excruciating and would scar Maggie forever. "He w-was gonna tell her th-that he l-" Maggie's throat tightened, not letting her finish telling Gwen what she wanted to say.  
"He loved her?" Gwen asked.  
Maggie nodded through her large and numerous tears. Gwen hugged her knowing that a hug wouldn't solve Maggie's troubles.

Spot had overheard all of this. Once again, it broke his heart that she was hurt. It took only a couple seconds to remember it was his fault, well, his and Jack's-"I'm gonna soak 'im!"  
Then he remembered what Gwen had said. He felt oddly like kissing her. He wanted to comfort her and tell her, "maybe you are."  
"Gwenny?" Maggie looked at Gwen, "Do you-do you like Spot?"  
Gwen's eyes went wide, "you mean, as a friend?" Maggie shook her head.  
"I... you're hands!" Gwen quickly changed the subject not knowing what to answer. She picked up a roll of white bandages, a wash cloth, and began cleaning her hands.  
"What happened?" Gwen didn't look up.  
"I... broke our mirror." Maggie mumbled.  
"Why?" Gwen looked up.  
"I-DON"T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" Yes, Maggie knew Gwen had made a subject change.  
"I won't tell you till you tell me why you broke our mirror." Gwen turned away stubbornly.  
"Fine! Then neither one of us will tell." Maggie crossed her arms. They sat still for a few minutes their patience wearing thin. Gwen gave in.  
"FINE! But you have to promise me that you'll tell me the truth about why you broke the mirror."  
Maggie rolled her eyes but promised her.  
"I've never thought of Spot as anything more than a friend and a teacher. Now why'd you break the mirror! And what's up with your Dad?  
"The mirror got in my way..." Maggie lied, unconvincingly. "I was simply having a bad hair day."  
Gwen gave her best friend a look of disbelief and concern. Why won't she tell me the truth? She wondered.  
"As for my father," she winced, unnoticeably, as she said, "father", "I am just having bad dreams about him...that's all." Gwen looked at Maggie again. Her eyes were filled with sadness and pain. "Altogether, it's been a very trying morning...and I'm tired. I'm goin' back upstairs to sleep." There wasn't a drop of eagerness in her voice. She didn't want to have more dreams about Jack, Spot, and her father. She walked up the stairs anyway and let sleepiness rush over her body and into her veins. Spot quickly walked back from the door as Maggie and Gwen came out. Maggie walked slowly upstairs, Gwen stayed put watching her walk upstairs.  
"She gonna be ok?" Spot whispered.  
Gwen through a threatening glare, "why do you care?"  
"Look it's not what you think!" Spot grabbed Gwen's arms she was about to storm upstairs.  
"FINE! Then tell me why you cheated on her!" Gwen locked eyes with Spot. Her gaze was steady and intimidating.  
"I knew she didn't love me but... someone else. So I gave her an-an easy out." Spot let go. Gwen stayed put staring at the floor. She then looked up a small innocent smile sealed on her face.  
Spot smiled, "She can look so innocent when she wants to."  
"It's nice what you say you did. I won't completely believe you but... I guess we shouldn't bring down the party anymore. LET'S PLAY!" Gwen announced throwing her arms up.  
"What about Maggie?" Mush asked. "Oh, she'll come down when she hears us having so much fun." Gwen beamed, "I didn't give you a sisterly 'hello' did I?"  
"Oh no!" Mush ran for it. Gwen jumped onto his back putting him in a headlock while rubbing his head with her other fist.  
"WATCH THE HAIR! WATCH THE HAIR!"  
Gwen was right. It didn't take more than a couple minutes to realize that no matter how tired she was, she wasn't going to get any sleep. That was her motive to get out of bed and come down stairs. Well, that and the fact that a totally oblivious Jack grabbed her by the waist and carried her down the stairs, Maggie screaming her protests the whole way down. Spot was the only one who seemed surprised. "Jack Kelly, I SWEAR! IF YOU DON'T PUT ME DOWN..." Maggie was too tired to actually follow through on a threat so; she just left it to the imagination.  
"Bout time! You wanna play?" Mush asked dealing cards.  
"Uh, no. I don't have anything to bet." Maggie sat down.  
"You sure?" Mush asked, waving the cards under her nose.  
"You could bet taking your top off!" Racetrack shouted, his face grinning from what he thought was brilliance.  
"I'm sure." Maggie said.  
" 'Nother round of beers chaps?" Specs came in, five jugs of the alcohol in each hand.  
"No thanks." Maggie and Gwen said in unison.  
The boys were given their beers and the game began. Some people decided to get a few new cards some did not. Maggie and Gwen looked at people's cards and listened as the bets grew. More beer was passed around while people placed their best poker faces. Slowly, people began to fold.  
Mush started hiccuping.  
"Mush? Are you drunk?" Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"I, hic, no drunk neither!" Mush's left eye was half closed.  
"I drunken no none." Spot laughed.  
"HA! You'd drunked fulls." Jack began laughing. Then most of the boys began talking to each other in indescribable ways.  
"Oh God no!" Maggie sighed.  
"I tink you're pr-patty." Spot leaned up against Maggie breathing his toxic breath into her face.  
"EY! I've call 'er foist!" Jack lazily slapped Spot. They both started laughing. Maggie stayed strong, though she felt like crying of mortification and sadness.  
"'Ey, Boid, you feel like uh-"Bumlets started and got very angry looks from Jack and Spot...and Gwen. Bumlets didn't even finish his sentence.  
"Maggie, let's get outta 'ere. We shouldn't be here when the boys start talkin' uh-" Gwen was at a loss of appropriate words.  
"Yeah. Let's go!" Maggie and Gwen hurried from the room.  
The party continued. "'Ey! Spotty boy!" Jack ducked as Spot hit him in the face, to no avail. When the girls ran out the "Lady Conversation" had begun.  
"Man, Jack, you'se gotcha self a nice peice a' ass dere!" Bumlets said immediately after Maggie walked out of the room.  
"She ain't mine, Bum!"  
"Well, what cha waitin' for? Ya waitin' for Spot to come in an' sweep 'er off 'er feet?"  
"Leave me outa dis! I told youse the reason I cheated!"  
"Please, that was a lame excuse. 'Maggie's always loved Jack so, I gave 'er an easy-out'!"  
The room was dead silent.  
"It's quiet." Mush whispered.  
"You weren't listen'n were ya?" Racetrack whispered.  
Spot sighed, "what makes you think I lied?"  
"It's the oldest excuse in the world! I've used it before!" Bumlets threw his hands up in the air.  
"Let's talk about something else!" Specs stood up.  
"Like what?" Jack turned around to face him.  
"I dunno! Marry, lay, kill, that's always a fun game!" Racetrack grinned.  
"In case you haven't noticed, we only have two girls." Mush pointed out.  
"So? We'll add Medda in. Bumlets you go first." Race regretted that immediately after he said it. "I'd definitely lay Song Boid, Gwen would make a good wife. Then I would lay her, then lay Medda." Bumlets puffed up his chest.  
Spot, Jack, Mush, and Racetrack all turned red with hatred. "NEXT!" Specs said, trying to get the conversation back where it started. It was too late; the boys were on top of him like flies on honey.  
"GET JACK I'LL GRAB SPOT!"  
"SOMEONE PULL MUSH OFF OF HIM!" The newsies shouted at one another to save Bumlets from death.  
"STOP RACE!"  
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Spot shouted.  
"YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!" Jack shouted.  
"YOU NEVER TALK ABOUT MY SISTER LIKE THAT YOU BASTARD!" Mush struggled against the arms holding him back.  
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" Gwen shouted. Maggie stood petrified behind here.  
"Oh my God." Maggie breathed. Jack had a black eye and a bloody nose. Her eyes went wide with shock.  
"No- nothing. Gwen, Boid, it's nothin', really." Specs was trying to keep the peace...it wasn't working.  
"NOTHING! YOU CALL THIS NOTHING? WHAT HAPPENED?" Gwen expected her answer immediately.  
"Guys just being guys." Spot rubbed his bloody lip glaring at Bumlet's.  
"Oh, really? Fine! You won't tell us then I'll just guess. Bumlets said something stupid and then everyone started soak'n him?"  
Everyone nodded. Maggie and Gwen began helping with bandages.  
"What exactly happened?" Maggie asked.  
Everyone looked at one another. Their looks said, "should we tell them?"  
"Tell us! Please!" Gwen cleaned Spots bleeding lip staring him straight in the eyes.  
Spot shook his head.  
"I can hit you Spot. You know that as well as I do." Gwen threatened him with a death stare.  
"Trust me, you really don't want to know." Spot muttered.  
"Will you tell me if we go into outside?" Gwen asked.  
Spot shook his head.  
"Will you ever tell me?" Gwen suppressed her anger and curiosity.  
Spot shook his head again. Gwen sighed.  
Maggie looked at Jack who only shook his head vigorously, blushing.  
"Will anyone tell us?" Maggie looked around the room to shaking heads, except for Bumlets.  
"I'll tell you for a price." Bumlets grinned puckering his lips to Maggie.  
Maggie used all of her strength to slap his good for nothing face off his shoulders. Sadly it didn't work.  
"You're sleeping outside." Jack grabbed Bumlet's collar and tossed him outside and locked the door behind him.  
"Er... shall we finish the poker game?" Specs asked breaking the abnormal silence.  
"Sure." The guys shrugged and sat down.  
"We'll just leave for a while." Maggie took Gwen by the arm and pulled her upstairs.  
The only sounds were the bets of the game. More drinks were passed around.  
"Maggie's pretty." Jack mumbled regaining his tipsiness.  
"She is but she can be very strange at times." Specs looked at the remaining hands. "So, Jack, are you gonna ever...ya know...hook up with Songboid?" Bumlets asked, genuinely curious through the window.  
"Why would I do that? She's like a sister to me, she's my best friend, she-we just-we can't."  
"I aint seen anyone kiss their sista like dat before!" Everyone turned to look at Whistle, the youngest newsie. Whistle never talked, he just whistled every so often. Whistle had the bed right across from Jack and Maggie's. His brown hair covered his eyes and he blushed. He was 6 years old.  
"What'd ya mean?" Jack was utterly clueless.  
"You'se always comin' home drunk lately an' kissin' Maggie full on da lips an' then goin' to sleep. Den she cries 'till she's asleep. 'Cept today. Today she didn't sleep much, she stayed up 'till real late worrying about you'se. When she did sleep, she was mumbling' all sorts a' things about not wantin' to be hoit an' about 'er dad an' all. Even a bit about Spot. Dat's when she woke up an' went into da batroom. Den she came out wit 'er arm all bleedin' an' walked out." Everyone looked at him in shock...and horror. Everyone looked at Jack.  
"Oh my God. I really do dat?" Jack looked at the young boy, who nodded his head. "I don't remember. Honestly, I'm usually too drunk to remember. I didn't realize..." No one could speak, even though they were drunk, they knew that this was horrible. Jack's expression was sad. He felt awful.  
"Do-do you know what she said, exactly?" Mush dared to break the quiet.  
"In 'er sleep? She was sayin' stuff like 'no, don't hurt me' an' 'ain't I good enough'. It's sad." Whistle looked at the ground.  
"Poor Songboid." Specs looked up the stairs.  
"I can't believe she wouldn't tell us." Race looked at the exact same spot as Specs.  
"I don't think she wants to tell us. It was probably something horrible. Something so terrible that she might be too afraid to tell us." Mush looked down at his table.  
Spot looked down.  
"What?" Crutchy asked.  
"I know." Spot's voice was barley a whisper.  
"YOU KNOW!" Everyone jumped forward making Spot jump backward.  
"Er... yeah." Spot's eyes grew wide at the sight of faces leaning in across the table.  
"Well?" Crutchy spoke not just for himself but for the entire room.  
"Once you back up I will!" Spot shook his head as everyone sat down.  
"It began when I was about six. I was walking down an alley. I think it was raining. I walked by a dumpster when I heard someone crying. I looked down to see this... white bundle. I bent down to see a girl who was dying. She hadn't eaten for what looked like months. I took her back to this Lodging House. With-with the help of my sister she recovered. She told me about her father. He was a cruel man. Didn't want a skinny little girl for a kid. He got drunk every night and would..." Spot stopped thinking the event over in his mind. People started getting impatient. Some started tapping their feet while others began biting their lips.  
"He would soak her. Not like we do. It was far worse. She was abused physically and mentally. Her father made her do tasks for him and hardly fed her. Then he grew tired of her. He soaked her for one last time before he dumped her onto the streets. He wanted her to die. I suppose he thinks she died. She was grateful when she was taken in and was considered a Newsie. That's what happened to M-Songboid." The silence was the only sound that could be heard in that house. Only Mush could hear the soft sobbing just around the bend of the stairs. He walked over to pick up the crying Gwen and cradled her like he did so long ago. She tried to stop crying but her tears were that off all that heard this stories and refused to release their tears. Something else made her cry so hard as well, but the time to explain that has not come. The boys lowered their caps to their hearts and prayed that Songboid was happy and how terrible the trauma was. They all saw Maggie in a different way; she seemed much stronger than anyone would have thought.  
Jack's eyes welled up with tears. "I...didn't...know." Everyone looked at him, shocked. Maggie was his best friend. "How d'ya know, Spot?"  
Maggie came down the stairs. "Hey, everyone. How-" They all looked at her, sympathetically. "Spot, I am going to kill you!" She didn't cry. No, she could cry for losing Spot, she could cry for never having a chance with Jack, but she would not let herself cry over this. "How could you?"  
"Mags, I didn't know that things are so bad..."  
"They're not, Spot! It's not any of your business, anyway."  
"It's all our business, Maggie!" This wasn't the voice of Spot, or Jack. It was the voice of Gwen. She never knew about her best friend's past.  
"Oh," Maggie looked, terrified down at the girl sitting on the stairs, "oh, Gwenny."  
"Why didn't ya tell me, Mags? I thought we were best friends."  
"Gwenny," Maggie was panicked, "you are my best friend. In the entire world." She sat down next to Gwen and put an arm around her shoulder. "I'm just...not brave enough."  
"What do ya mean you'se weren't brave enough! For someone to endure that kind of pain, I would think you would've been able to tell someone!" Gwen snapped through her tears.  
"I couldn't! I just," She broke down tears leaking slowly from her eyes, "I couldn't tell you. It's... I just... I just couldn't tell ya!"  
"How come Spot knew!" Gwen snapped. The room tensed up again. Gwen stared fiercely into Maggie's eyes. Anger and sadness tore Maggie's heart apart.  
Maggie looked at Spot. "He knows because he promised to never tell nobody and to not make a big deal outta it!"  
"MAGGIE! I'm worried about you!"  
"Oh, like you were worried about me when I saw you kissing Kate?" Maggie's voice was screeching.  
"I WAS DOING THAT TO GIVE YOU AN EASY-OUT!"  
"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN!"  
"EVERY BODY SHUT UP OR YOU'LL ALL BE CREAMED!" Mush shouted standing on a chair that his hair lightly brushed the ceiling. He let Gwen rest against the wall who was still in a bit of a shock.  
"Okay thank you! Now let's discuss this without yelling at one another or nothing's going to be solved. We've established that Spot and Maggie were an item so Maggie told Spot." Mush turned to Maggie, "An easy out is when a guy 'cheats' on her so that she'll have a reason to break up with him to be with the one they're really in love with. Now, can we all forget all of this and have a normal party for once?" Mush sat down. The room looked at one another not knowing what to say or how to react.  
"Um... now- sniff- now that things are... better... I think that we can get on with the night without drama." Gwen cracked a smile and stood up now that Mush had released her. She spun a chair around and sat in it backwards. The others knew that the drama hadn't end but no one would admit that they knew.  
"So..."  
"I guess we should just... play poker." Specs organized the mess that was on the table. People akwardly sat down and picked up their cards and bgan tthe bets once again. Maggie and Gwen watched looking at other people's hands and whispering who will win if they kept their poker face on. Bumlet's watched Maggie from outside thinking very, very, very hard. When enough beers were passed out, everything seemed to go back to how it was supposed to be. People loosened up and began cracking jokes that weren't very funny. The guys joked about each other's crushes and how they would propose and such. It was all hilarious how people would interrupt to add in something like "and you then left her for a pig that could fly over the mountains."

The next day, they were strewn about the floor. The door opened very loudly and slammed. It startled most of the newsies, except of course, Jack and Mush. Jack's legs were over Mush's chest and Mush's arm was resting on Jack's neck. Jack's arms were wrapped tightly around Maggie...as were Bumlets's.  
On the opposite side of the room, Spot's arm was gently on Gwen's waist, which pulled her very close. Needless to say, everyone was startled including the red-faced Gwen. They looked up to see David.  
"You are a dead man!" Suddenly, David was on top of Jack, strangling him. Maggie was clawing at David's back, trying desperately to get David off of Jack. Spot and Mush pulled David off of Jack and David started yelling. "What the hell? You were my buddy and you shacked it up with my sister? You-" he went on to say a wholly of bad words that no one else in the room would ever use.  
"What!" Jack, Maggie, and Gwen said together in unison.  
"You heard me, because of your stupid male desires, my sister is pregnant!"  
"HOLY CRAP SHE'S PREGNANT!" Maggie shouted her jaw dropping.  
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Jack was shocked.  
"YOU GOT MY SISTER PREGNANT!" David struggled against the arms restraining him.  
"I'VE NEVER HAD SEX WITH YOUR SISTER!" Jack shouted back.  
"THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN IT!" David demanded.  
"She might've been with another guy." Gwen shrugged.  
"SHE HASN'T BEEN WITH ANOTHER GUY!" David spat.  
"How do you know?" Spot asked staying close to Gwen.  
"I-" David stopped and thought this over. This is when David remembered one very unusual morning when Oscar Delancy ran down the stairs and out of his house. "Oh my God."  
"What?"  
"OH MY GOD!" He repeated, fully grasping the situation. "Jack, please tell me you've had sex with my sister..."  
"Er... I didn't." Jack looked at David strangely wondering why David suddenly wanted him to have had sex with his sister.

"OH CRAP!" David walked around his face buried in his hands.

"What?" Maggie followed David around trying to see his face.

"My sister is going to have Oscars baby." David muttered.

"WHAT!" Everyone shouted. It was the strangest and most disturbing thought that could have ever taken place.

"Are you serious?" Mush asked clutching David's shoulders. David nodded. David rushed into the bathroom to dump out his meals.

**A/N (Kayls): So...what do you think? Dahlinks, review, for the sake of the story! **

**A/N (Nikki):Well, this has gotten interesting! I hope you are just as surprised as we are. Thank you for reading and please review!**


	8. Kisses, Santa Fe, and Broken Bottles

**Disclaimer: We don't own Newsies! Sad! We'll get over it! Luvs!**

Everyone was still in shock that Sarah would actually look at Oscar not to mention have sex with him. It was just too weird of a thought to be true.  
"That is going to be one ugly baby." Maggie said breaking the silence. A few Newsies nervously laughed. Jack had walked upstairs, just as pale as David, and had been there ever since.  
"Someone should check on him." Spot suggested. Maggie jumped up and ran upstairs to check on Jack. Jack was sitting on his bed, or rather, Maggie's bed, considering it was the bottom bunk, with his head in his hands.  
"Jack, I'm so-"  
"Yet, somehow, I knew it. I knew it had to be something like that. I did everything right. What went wrong?" He was mumbling to himself.  
"She was stupid, Jack! She is a stupid little heart breaker! I-I'm so, so, so sorry Jack!" Maggie wrapped her arms around him. He pulled away.  
"Maggie, you're my best friend. Let's not ruin that...okay?" Maggie was shocked.  
"Uh-okay..." Maggie's eyes filled up with tears and she left the room and walked downstairs. There was Bumlets, standing next to Racetrack. "Forget Jack!" Her mind shouted. She grabbed the back of Bumlets's neck and pulled him into a full out kiss. Everyone stood in shock. Bumlet's sank into to the kiss and thoroughly enjoyed it.  
"Er... I'm just going to go." Gwen headed for the door.  
"I'm going with her." Spot shaded his eyes from the abnormal sight. Gwen sighed as she stopped.  
"I never expected this." Gwen stared at the sky. It seemed like she expected an angel to fly die and answer her questions.  
"None of us did." Spot shoved his hands deep into his pockets looking at the sky himself.  
"I thought that things would turn out much differently." They began walking.  
"How did you think things would be?" Spot walked beside her taking in her every motion and look.  
"You're in love with her aren't you?" Gwen looked up and smiled.  
"I-what?" Spot was startled.  
"You're still in love with her. Even though she wasn't in love with you, you let her go because you love her so much." Gwen smiled but it seemed to be a sad one.  
"I don't know what you mean." Spot stated.  
"All the better." Gwen looked back at the ground.  
"H-have you ever been in love?" Spot didn't know why he asked the question but he knew that it was too late to change it.  
"I've had boyfriends in the past. I've never been in love." Gwen grew red.  
"How many?" Spot was in dangerous territory but he couldn't stop himself.  
"I've had two that were just a couple of dates. Three that were actual boyfriends even though it only lasted about a week at the most. Then there was that one time when I was stood up. Why do you ask?" Gwen looked up at Spot as they turned the corner.  
"I don't know. Lately it has been romance drama so... I don't know."  
"Have you had girlfriends? That's a dumb question. Of course you have. You're Spot Conlon."  
Spot raised his eyebrows. "What's dat supposed to mean?"  
"I don't know...you've just always been kinda a lady's man. Or so says your reputation."  
"I see. It's not exactly what you think."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I don't go out every night and hook up with some girl. Sure I may do a charming act like take off my cap and bow or something but I'm not a lady's man."  
"Well, girls love to look at you." Gwen smiled and kept walking as Spot froze. He blushed. "What?"  
"How do you know?"  
"I do happen to be a girl, Spot!"  
Spot grinned wickedly.  
"So you admit you're attracted to me."  
"Oh come on! You're not that handsome."  
"Ouch! Gee you can be icy!" Spot placed his hand on his chest doing his best to pretend to be hurt.  
"If you talked to Maggie I'm sure she would tell you many stories about my 'iciness'."  
"...Yeah...Maggie."  
"Yeah... you did a kind thing. It might not have been what you wanted but... what you did was really sweet."  
"What do you mean 'not what I wanted?" Spot looked thoroughly confused. Gwen just smiled and walked on.  
"Please tell me you're going to tell me."  
"You should know." Gwen grinned.  
"What?"  
"Again, you should know."  
He caught Gwen's gaze. "What do you mean?"  
"Poor naive Spot. Under all of that discipline and danger lies a boy who has no clue."  
"I don't know what we're even talking about!"  
"Of course you don't." Gwen said in a cutesy baby voice as she pinched his cheeks.  
"HEY!"  
Gwen walked off grinning.

Back at the Lodging House:  
"Bumlets? Maggie? What are you doing?" Jack asked in a rather panicked voice.  
Maggie stopped sucking Bumlets's face. "Jack? Oh, hey!" Bumlets and I were just..." she giggled as her voice trailed off.  
"Oh, god no." Jack whispered under his breath.  
"You know, we should go on a date sometime." Bumlet's grin was as big as a moon.  
"That sounds like fun!" Maggie and Bumlet's walked out talking and smiling, Jack nearly puked right there.  
"Woo wee! You missed that one by a mile." Racetrack stared at the door like everyone else.  
"Please, for the love of all things living, tell me this is a joke." Jack was stunned and clearly angry.  
"Wish we could Jack. Believe me we wish we could." Crutchy answered.  
"I'm going to-" Jack began to fume.  
"Whoa! Hang on a sec! You can't just do that! Then Maggie would get all mad at you and you would lose her even more!" Specs stopped Jack from leaving the house and burning up New York with his gaze.  
"Why are we even discussing this?!" Jack's emotions would be a big blob of paint if it were a painting.  
"Oh, please, Jack, You can't be far into denial that you don't get it!" Specs was smiling, "Just listen to yourself. Why else would you care?"  
"Because she's my friend!" Jack snapped.  
"Mm-hmm." Everyone answered grinning and shaking their heads.  
"WHY DOES EVERYONE DO THAT?!"  
"Poor, poor naive Jack." Mush grinned and ran away as Jack began chasing him. The newsies flew into a fit of laughter practically rolling across the floor at the thought of Jack denying the truth that he was completely clueless.  
Maggie and Bumlets were still swapping spit...

Gwen and Spot came back to a house of boys teasing an angry Jack. Everybody at once began to tell the story of 'Naive Jack.' Spot burst into laughter as Gwen thought everything over with a fine toothed comb. Jack stormed outside. Gwen followed.  
"Hey." Gwen sat down next to Jack.  
"Hey." Jack stared off into space.  
"That's an interesting story they're telling." Gwen shrugged staring across the street.  
"They say I'm clueless." Jack mumbled as he placed his head on his knees.  
"I'm in the same boat. I get the feeling that Maggie thinks I'm clueless."  
Jack grunted as an answer.  
"I think it's interesting that you don't want what you want to be true so badly that you ignore the signs." Gwen said.  
"I don't know what everybody means."  
"That's where I think you're wrong. I think you do know you just don't want it to be true. Maybe it's because you're afraid you'll ruin it. Just think about it for a while." Gwen stood up and walked back into the house leaving Jack to his thoughts.  
Maggie came up and sat down next to Jack later that evening. "Hey, Jack, how are you?"  
"Good...I guess..." there was an awkward silence. "Maggie, can I ask ya something without ya takin' it poisonally?" Maggie nodded. "Why are you and Bumlets goin' out?"  
Maggie shrugged. "Why not?" She had him there. He, of course, couldn't say anything without giving away the most secretive part about him.  
"'Ey, Maggie!" They both looked up. Bumlets was standing beside Maggie, "some of us are headin' over to Medda's...wanna come?" Maggie nodded and stood up. "Jack, you can come too, if you want..."  
"Okay, I will." Jack stood up and joined the group.  
"Gwen!" Maggie and Gwen talked giggling about something that was apparently amusing.  
Jack shook his head, "I'll never understand women."  
"And yet you love them." Spot grinned.  
"So do you!" Jack snapped punching Spot's arm.  
"Well I have one particularly on my mind." Spot zoned out grinning like an idiot.  
"Spot. SPOT!" Jack shook him out of his trance.  
"Wh-WHAT!?" Spot was quite startled.  
"We're here." Racetrack grinned. They entered the building and took a table closest to the performance arena. Medda came out. The crowd, especially Race, cheered as she curtsied to the hypnotized audience.  
"Oh he makes me laugh.  
Ah ha ha ha ha!" Medda began.  
"She sings like an angel." Race sighed.  
"I'd bet you'd like to kiss her wouldn't ya." Crutchy whispered.  
"Yeah-wait... what?!" Race stood up straight looking thoroughly confused.  
"Ooh!" Everyone cooed teasingly. Race blushed darkly and focused once again on the now dancing Medda. The beat was a fast ballroom one.  
"She sure can dance." Gwen commented.  
"Yeah she can." Maggie agreed.  
"It'd be nice to know how." Gwen sighed.  
"You don't know how?" Spot looked down at Gwen surprised.  
Gwen looked down blushing as she shook her head.  
Spot sighed, "do I have to teach you everything." Spot grinned taking her hands gently.  
"What? Well, I know how to sing and read so you won't have to teach me that." Gwen grinned her face heating up like an oven as Spot placed one hand pin her hip the other in her hand.  
Bumlets came over and kissed Maggie. Maggie giggled.  
Everyone either rolled their eyes or pretended to puke behind them. Jack did his best to hide his resentment and anger.  
Gwen looked at her feet most of the time, trying her best not to squish Spot's feet.  
"You need to look up not at your feet." Spot said lifting up her chin.  
"Look everyone! We've got some lovebirds in our midst." Medda shouted. The spotlight rushed over to Gwen and Spot.  
"Should we bring them on stage?" Medda was answered by a screaming and cheering crowd. Spot and Gwen tried to back up only to be pushed forward by the Newsies. Gwen grabbed Maggie's hand while Spot forced Jack in front of him.  
"What are you doing!?" Maggie hissed.  
"If we have to dance, then so do you!" Spot answered grinning. They were welcomed by the applause and cheers of the people. Gwen and Spot began to dance and Jack and Maggie followed suit.  
Maggie's heart raced as she tried to stay cool about it, as was Jack. Bumlets had a grim look on his face. Gwen and Spot knew that a silent war had begun between the two boys. It was a war for love, so they knew that they would fight dirty.  
"This is strange." Gwen breathed as they danced.  
"I know. I didn't realize that Medda would take people onto the stage." Spot muttered.  
"Well, now we know." Gwen nervously chuckled.  
"Gwen... there's been something I've been wanting to ask you." Spot wouldn't meet her eyes.  
Maggie bumped into Spot mouthing 'sorry.'  
"It's so typical of them to bring us out here." Maggie fumed as they danced.  
"I know. It's almost as if they planned it." Jack shook his head slightly.  
They raised their eyebrows and looked over at Spot and Gwen, who were oblivious to the rest of the world. "You were saying?" Gwen asked, nearly, missing his foot.  
Spot choked on his words.  
"Dammit! Why is this so hard!" Spot thought furiously.  
"Spot? You ok?" Gwen looked up into his eyes.  
Spot's heart raced. His palms grew sweaty and his face was burning up.  
"Dammit!" Spot thought.  
"Let's give these lovely couples a round of applause!" Medda shouted. The audience clapped as they were ushered off the stage. Gwen was thoroughly confused when Spot dragged her outside keeping his head down.  
"He's finally got the courage." Maggie smiled, happy that Gwen would finally know. Jack shook his head.  
"Spot are you ok?" Gwen repeated. Spot stopped and turned around.  
"I..." Spot studied Gwen confused face, "I need some help."  
"Ok. With what?"  
"You-you see there's this girl that I like."  
Gwen's eyebrow's rose.  
"Spot Conlon, having lady troubles?! Wow this is serious! I'm sorry go on." Gwen teased.  
"I just don't know how to tell her that I'm in... I think I'm in love with her." Spot turned around and rested his arms on a broken fence.  
"Wow." Gwen was stunned.  
"He is love with Maggie!" Gwen thought excitedly.  
"Are you positive you're in love with her?"  
"That's the only way I can explain how I feel every time I look at her. I have to hold myself back so that I won't kiss her every time I see her beautiful face."  
"He's serious about her. Well, he'll have competition." Gwen thought.  
"I think that if you truly love her, you should find out of she feels the same way." Gwen stood beside Spot looking at the scenery before them.  
"I know but... it's so hard."  
"I think that proves that you have strong feelings about her. I wouldn't worry so much about it." Gwen smiled and walked back inside followed by Spot.  
"I should a' just told her!" He could kick himself for not thinking about it...  
"You didn't tell her." Race hissed.  
"I just couldn't do it." Spot sighed.  
"Man you've got to speed things up or you'll lose her!" Racetrack clutched Spot's collar.  
"He's got a point." Jack muttered.  
"A point that also applies to you!" Race growled.  
"I've already lost her!" Jack spat.  
"But you can still win her back!" Race snapped.  
"Thank you, Confucius," Jack and Spot both mumbled together.  
"IT'S NOT CONFUSING AT ALL!" Racetrack released Spot to fume that these two leaders couldn't understand the simplest thing in the world.  
"Are you guys ok?" Maggie asked leaning against Bumlets.  
"FINE!" The boys spat in different tones.  
"They keep saying that but they aren't believable." Gwen murmured as she watched the performance.  
"I know. They are so confusing." Maggie shook her head. Those who didn't know them would've thought she was nuzzling against Bumlet's arm. Bumlets swiftly kissed Maggie's head and made his way down to her neck. Jack got blinded by jealousy and attacked Bumlets.  
"JACK! WHAT THE-" Maggie screamed as the boys rolled on the floor exchanging hits and misses. Everyone jumped in pulling them from each other. The boys struggled against their restraints to kill one another. Jack had a black eye while Bumlet's had a bloody nose. Each had bruises and cuts everywhere. They realized that the building was completely silent. Medda walked over to them.  
"I like you newsies but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Medda pointed to the door angrily. The newsies quickly and quietly left.  
Once outside, the fight resumed. Once again the newsies separated the two.  
"Save it for another time!" Gwen snapped.  
"Bumlet's are you alright?"  
"Yeah, but he isn't." Bumlet's spat at Jack's feet.  
"Everyone's going insane." Crutchy sighed as they made their way home.

The Next Day

"Wake up Shorty!" Spot shouted shaking her awake.  
"I'm not Shorty." Gwen mumbled as she sat up.  
"You didn't think I wouldn't have our lesson for today, did you?" Spot grinned as he shoved toast under her nose. She ate and waited until Spot left before she dressed.  
"I brought the weapons you chose. We'll do everything as we would in Brooklyn." Spot placed everything in a deserted area and jumped to the rooftops followed by Gwen. They didn't say anything as the jumped from rooftop to rooftop. The returned to the area and sipped water before they began the lessons. Maggie followed, having nothing to do.  
"Hey Mags. Whatcha doing?" Gwen waved.  
"Watching you two. I want to see what you do in these lessons." Maggie sat down.  
"Start with the bow, then we'll work on the staff." Spot corrected her grip before sitting next to Maggie.  
"I'm told that you didn't tell her." Maggie sighed.  
"I couldn't."  
"You need to really soon. I'm getting anxious." Maggie whispered. They watched Gwen.  
"Me too. If I don't do it soon, I'm gonna lose my nerve."  
Maggie smiled. It was the first time in a long time that she felt at peace with the whole Spot thing.  
"Spot! I broke an arrow!" Gwen grinned sheepishly.  
"How'd you manage to do that?!" Spot got up and walked over. He saw the arrow in the target. Half of it broke from the impact.  
Maggie watched as the two quarreled a bit only to laugh at one another in the end.  
"To the staffs." Spot picked up one and tossed the other one to Gwen. She caught it and began wheeling it around testily. The two stood in the staff-fighting stance. Spot quickly corrected her footing and resumed.  
"A test?" Gwen asked her eyes locking with his.  
"A test." Spot answered.  
Spot began the fight. He began with a high strike, which Gwen blocked. He swiftly swept his staff to a low strike, which was once again blocked. Gwen swiveled her staff attacking Spot's side while Spot knocked her shoulder. Gwen forced her staff in a crescent attack nearly striking Spot's other side. He blocked then pushed himself through the air over Gwen's head. Once he landed he striked her back. She dropped and rolled forward thrusting her staff between Spot's legs using her strength to make Spot fly. He softened his fall using his hands to slap the ground as he rolled forward and stood up once again.  
Maggie was amazed at how fast the two fighters were moving. They had trained long and hard.  
Spot rushed forward, his staff horizontal gripping Gwen's stomach and forcing her backwards. Gwen rolled over lying on top of Spot. She used her staff to quickly push herself to her feet. Spot did the same. Gwen mid-striked Spot blocked. Spot high striked aiming for her collarbone. Gwen blocked and twisted her staff to catch Spot's right cheek. Spot forced his staff to the right driving Gwen's staff to her side. Gwen seized this opportunity to trip Spot and place her staff at his throat.  
Maggie stood up clapping.  
"Wow. That was amazing. You've taught her well Spot."  
Spot nodded in appreciation.  
"Well," Gwen said, a bit irritated and out of breath, "I don't get any credit?"  
Maggie smiled. Gwen did as well.  
"You defeated Spot, I believe that you should win an award or something." Maggie grinned.  
"Well... I suppose I did didn't I?" Gwen pulled Spot up.  
"So that's what you do with this time."  
"Just about." Spot chugged his flask of water before sitting down.  
"It's quite fun." Gwen gasped as she stopped drinking water.  
"I can tell." Maggie smiled.  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Spot snapped.  
"Oh that it's fun to beat you up." Gwen grinned before she ran from the tired Spot. Once they were out of earshot Gwen mouthed, "I know who you're in love with."  
"Who?" Spot mouthed back he ran and put her in a headlock.  
"It's been ever so obvious."  
Spot's heart stopped. It seemed like she was laughing at him in a way.  
"Enlighten me o' woman of Manhattan."  
"You've always wanted to hear stories about her. You've protected her. You've been able to talk to her unless it concerned the subject of love. It's been obvious who you like." Gwen wiggled out of the head-lock.  
"Who?"  
Gwen grinned and nodded over to Maggie who trotted up.  
"You two are very friendly with each other." Maggie teased before Spot could deny Gwen's accusation.  
He did anyway. "ARE YOU MENTAL! OF COURSE I DON'T LOVE HER! Not like that, anyway!" Gwen was astonished. Maggie knew exactly what was going on.  
"Gee, Spot, love ya too!" Maggie grinned sarcastically. Gwen didn't take it like that. She was jealous but she wouldn't admit it.  
"Maggie? I thought you said you love Jack! What changed?"  
"Gwenny, I was just being sarcastic. Besides, you heard him; he doesn't love me like that!"  
"Then who?" Maggie shook her head and chuckled.  
Spot looked down covering his bright neon red face as he took Gwen's hand and started walking down the street.  
"Spot? Spot, what's going on?" Gwen asked. Thunder crashed in the distance. When they were far from home Spot looked up. Little beads of sweat rested on his temples.  
"I've tried to tell you this before but... but I couldn't." Spot paused nervously wringing his cap in his hands.  
"I don't know what you mean." Gwen looked up at Spot's troubled face. A raindrop splashed on her nose. Then another, then another. Gwen saw that Spot was looking at her in a strange way. It was pouring rain. They were soon completely soaked.  
"Spot?"  
Spot took a long, deep breath and wrapped his arms around her. Then, right there in the pouring rain, Spot showed Gwen what he couldn't tell her in words. His kiss was powerful and meaningful. It was a pure kiss. One that held true to Spot's feelings. Mouths were slightly open as they embraced one another's lips. Gwen sank into it forgetting everything around her. The kiss broke.  
"I love you." Spot whispered.

"I sure hope they get back soon. It's raining pretty hard." Maggie stared out of the window into the gloomy gray sky.  
"Ah don't worry about them. They'll be alright." Jack placed a hand on Maggie's shoulder and looked through the window. Thunder clanged making everyone's bones rattle. Lightning illuminated the house. Spot shoved the door open and walked in, water dripping from him. Maggie could see no Gwen with him.  
"What-" Maggie began as everyone rushed over to Spot.  
"I finally told her."  
The room remained silent waiting for an explanation.  
"I kissed her. I told her I loved her, and she ran from me." Spot slumped into a nearby chair.  
"Wh-what?" Maggie said out of breath. She stood in utter disbelief. "Oh my God. I-I can't imagine why she would do that."  
"Neither do I." Spot sighed, "I hadn't realized how hopeful I was until that happened."  
"Wow Spot. What did you do?" Racetrack looked down knowing that that wasn't the best thing to say.  
"I dunno."  
The Lodging House was silent as the Newsies puzzled over the strange actions of Gwen Sparrow.  
"This isn't odd at all." Mush said sarcastically.  
"Has she ever acted this way before?" Jack asked realizing that Mush would know best.  
"No, not that I know of. It may be that she just had he first kiss but I dunno."  
"THAT WAS HER FIRST KISS!?!?!?!?" Everyone shouted standing up straight.  
"Er... yeah... she's a very reserved person."  
"She told me she's had boyfriends before." Spot sat down his legs going numb.  
"She has... she's just never been kissed." Mush scratched his head.  
"This just keeps getting better and better doesn't it." Spot rolled his eyes feeling like he was going to die.  
"That must be it, Spot. I know Gwenny, she runs away sometimes. It's gonna be okay." She put an arm around Spot and half hugged him. Spot wasn't thoroughly convinced. It made sense to him but he couldn't get the little voice that said "you did something wrong" out of his head.  
"I wouldn't worry about it Spot." Jack could see that Spot had changed since he met Gwen. He was a little more paranoid and had gone a bit soft. "Yeah, she just needs some time to think." Crutchy said giving Spot his warmest smile.  
"Thanks... I'm just gonna hit the sack." Spot flopped on a bed and fell asleep.

Maggie was awakened with the opening and closing of a window. She sat up quickly blindly through a punch. A blurry figure stood before her.  
"Gwen." Maggie quickly stood up and hugged her. As her vision cleared she could see that Gwen had been out all night in the pouring rain.  
"Gwenny, tell me everything that happened. Don't leave anything out!"  
"I" Gwen wrapped herself in a warm towel and sat down.  
"After we left-" The words choked in her throat. Gwen didn't know why she began to cry but she was glad that only Maggie saw.  
"It's ok. Tell me everything and it will all be ok." Maggie wrapped her arms around Gwen rocking back and forth.  
"I didn't know." Gwen sobbed, "I didn't expect this."  
"I know you didn't, but it happened."  
"He-he kis-ssed me and he said that he loved me."  
"That's wonderful!" Maggie grinned.  
"No... everything's going to be different. I don't know what to do."  
Maggie waited patiently for Gwen to slow down her tears to continue to explain.  
"I... there were signs I just d-didn't know it was about me."  
"You were just being care-free." Gwen sat up.  
"What do I do? I can't escape from this, I know that. I just don't know how to deal with it."  
"Tell me what happened and then I might be able to help." Maggie said soothingly.  
Gwen paused gathering her thoughts.  
"He lead me far from where you were. I asked him what was wrong. The rain came down and... and he kissed me."  
"And how was it?" Maggie grinned.  
"He meant it. It was powerful and..."  
"It was great wasn't it."  
Gwen nodded blushing.  
"It just seems like you're unsure of how you feel about him."  
"I think that's it... I just don't know how long it will take for me to figure it out. Were you this unsure when Jack kissed you?"  
"No, Gwenny. That's different...he's always drunk when he kisses me," Maggie said, choking back tears, "Spot loves you, Gwenny! Do you have any idea of what I would give to have that? Not with Spot, of course, but to have someone love you like Spot does..." Her voice trailed off as she stifled her tears.  
"I'm sorry!" Gwen through her arms around Maggie cursing herself and her stupidity.  
"How do you know he doesn't love you?" Gwen knew this was a dangerous area but she had to know.  
"Gwenny, before she broke up with him, he was gonna tell Sarah that he loved her! I can't compete with her, even if she is gonna have Oscar's baby! He isn't just going to forget that he loves her! Besides...who would love me...?" Her voice was barely over a raspy little whisper. She was still trying to choke back her tears. It was Gwen's moment, it would be bad for Maggie to ruin it.  
"People misunderstand things and feelings." Gwen whispered.  
"Look forget about me! What happened to you is more important."  
"You can't decide what is more important and what is not. I feel that there is something else. Something you looked over or you didn't want to believe. I just... I want you to be happy."  
Maggie smiled.  
"You shouldn't worry about me."  
"I still do..."  
"So, what are you going to do about Spot?"  
Gwen sighed knowing that it was best to stay on this subject.  
"I can't wake up tomorrow and act like everything's normal. Spot would feel worse than he does now. I don't know what to do. I-I can't think of what to do." Gwen eyes brimmed with tears once more. She hated not knowing what to do. She hated uncertainty especially from within herself.  
"Well...do you love him?"  
"I...don't...know..."  
"Okay..." Maggie loved this not being about her. "if he were to leave you, without any explanation, no note, nothing, what would you do?"  
"I... I'd be sad and probably hunt him down to smack some sense into him" Gwen smiled trying to lighten the mood.  
"Gwen, be serious."  
"I don't know exactly how I'd react. I know I'd be sad but... I wouldn't know what I'd do unless it happened." Gwen stared at the floor thinking very hard.  
Spot came in. "'Ey, Mags, what's with the-" he stopped and stared at Gwen, wide eyed. Gwen blushed furiously and continued to stare at the floor not knowing what to do about it.  
"You needed something?" Maggie asked knowing that neither of them would speak  
"Never mind..." Spot turned to leave.  
"Do something or you'll regret it!" Maggie mouthed to Gwen.  
"S-Spot!" Gwen shouted.  
He turned around. Gwen bit her lip as she stood up and walked forward.  
"What-what you did was sweet and... I just need some time to figure out what I think and how I feel." Gwen forced to keep looking at his face.  
Before Spot could say anything, Bumlets came in. "'Ey! A party and I wasn't invited?" He went over and kissed Maggie. Unfortunately, Jack was at the door. Jack once again attacked Bumlets. He wasn't intending for Bumlets to walk away from the fight. Spot tried to stop them and got a black eye for it. Mush and Specs finally managed to pull them apart. Maggie, who had stood there in shock, watching, started to yell, "JACK KELLY, WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" Jack looked at her, bewildered. "Jack, outside, NOW!" Jack stood up and followed her out of the room, apprehensively. "Jack, why are you doing this?"  
"Why are you kissing him?"  
"Why do you care?" She demanded. "You have made it painfully clear that all I am to you is a crutch and a buddy to talk to! The only time that you pay me any attention is when you're drunk or when I'm kissing someone else! So, Jack why do I matter to you?"  
"I don't know!" Jack was angry now, too, "it's not like you are as important as Sarah! If I had known Sarah was gonna dump me, I would'a left for Santa Fe!" Those words stung Maggie. But she would not let him know it.  
"What is it with you and your precious little Santa Fe? If that's what you want, you should just go! You've got money and it's not like Sarah and you are working out! So, just go and stop making my life miserable!" Both their voices were raised, but no one dared to go out there and see what was up.  
"You know what? That's a great idea! I'll leave as soon as I'm finished packing!"  
"FINE!" Jack walked away and into his room to pack. "DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT!"  
Jack had packed and left the next morning. His bunk was empty and neatly done. It seemed that Jack had really left for Santa Fe.  
"Maggie?" Gwen found Maggie crying into her pillow.  
"Maggie." Gwen sat by her side rubbing her back comfortingly.  
"I didn't think he'd really leave. I didn't want him to leave." Maggie sobbed through her pillow.  
"No one thought he would. Maybe he'll come back."  
"Face it Gwen! He's not coming back!" Maggie sat up her eyes red and puffy.  
"I know this is hard, but you can't stay in here forever."  
"YES I CAN!" Maggie shoved her head back into the pillow. Gwen looked at the door to see every Newsie there and waiting to help comfort their friend. Spot came over.  
"Jack's angry. When people get angry they do stupid things. Everyone does that." Spot said speaking the truth.  
"He won't come back. He's finally going to be a real cowboy. There's nothing left for him here."  
"There's everything here!" Gwen said shocked.  
"Friends and a life he never wanted." Maggie sobbed into her pillow, not caring who came in to look. "Just leave me alone!"  
The newsies looked at one another questioning what to do. In the end they decided it was best to leave. Gwen looked back before closing the door.  
"I'm worried about her." Gwen said as they sat down downstairs.  
"We all are." Mush muttered, resting his head on his arms.  
"We need to cheer her up." Racetrack began thinking very hard.  
"We can't cheer her up with a poker game Race." Gwen thought harder.  
"What about getting wasted." Specs suggested.  
"I don't know if that works with women. Does it?" Spot asked Gwen.  
"It works sometimes... I think it might this time as well. I just don't like the thought of taking out my friend to get drunk."  
"She doesn't have to get drunk and you don't have to take her." Mush sat up straight.  
"I can't have one of you guys take her out! Boys don't understand girl troubles."  
"She's right about that." Crutchy commented.  
"Besides, knowing her in this situation she will get drunk."  
"Better drunk than bitter." Race commented.  
Gwen scowled.  
"I suppose... I don't know! Maybe we should try something else instead."  
"What else do we got?"

"I dunno...let's think on it for a little while..."

...One Week later...  
"I'm really worried about Maggie," Gwen said, sitting next to her brother as the other newsies filed in. This was their first newsie meeting since the strike. "She won't eat. She won't talk. She's not even moping. At least then she'd be doing something. She just lies there, staring at the walls. I don't think she even sleeps."  
"I know. I tried to talk to her and she completely ignored me." Racetrack entered the conversation.  
When everybody got settled, Spot started the meeting, "Okay, Jack's left, Maggie's pretty much lifeless, Bumlets is...gone..." everyone smirked lightly. No one had seen Bumlets since Jack left. Spot continued, "there is still stress over the awkward atmosphere from the poker game and the days that followed...we need to fix this!" The newsies nodded in agreement.  
"LET'S GET DRUNK!" Race shouted standing proudly on his chair.  
"Race." Gwen pulled him down.  
"C'mon Gwen! You know that's the best way to fix this."  
Gwen grew quiet.  
"Whatcha thinkin bout?" Mush whispered. Gwen subconsciously smacked him.  
"Don't do that! I have a lot of things on my mind." Gwen blushed and looked down as memories flooded back into her mind.  
The house fell silent as the Newsies looked back and forth from Spot to Gwen.  
"Um... I'm going to think about you're idea Race." Gwen quickly left forgetting her coat.  
She walked down the streets thinking hard. Things weren't as weird between her and Spot when they should've been. The snow floated lightly down. Gwen stopped.  
"Spot Conlon get down from there!" Gwen turned around to see Spot descending from the rooftops.  
"What are you doing?" Gwen asked.  
"Searching for my princess." Spot smiled.  
"I'm sorry but she went down the street a few blocks ago, try there."  
"I was being serious."  
"So was I. I saw your girlfriend Catleen was it?"  
"We broke up weeks ago." Spot said.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Gwen asked.  
"I thought you knew."  
"Well I didn't."  
The two stood there wondering 'what now'?  
"I don't know how I feel about you Spot." Gwen whispered.  
"I know, but you need to figure it out."  
Gwen continued to look at the ground afraid to see his face.  
"I love you Gwen."  
Gwen flinched but smiled. She looked up into his face.  
"That's the first time you've said my real name."  
"Is it?"  
"Well, to me anyway."  
Gwen continued to look into Spot's face. She realized that her heart was beating faster than normal. Her cheeks flushed and she looked down again. Spot lifted her chin and kissed her. Time stopped as did her heart. She felt something, something unfamiliar to her. Something she didn't noticed before. Her stomach flew to the heavens. Her mind went blank as she was caught up in the moment. It seemed like fireworks were blasting their radiant colors around her. Love had found Gwenivere Margaret Sparrow.  
The kiss broke. She smiled.  
"I-I didn't think that someone would be able to love me let alone noticed that I was here. You proved me wrong Spot. I don't know how to say this... I-" She paused her stomach twisted as she grew more and more nervous.  
"You don't have to say it now." Spot whispered.  
"Yet I want to scream it from the heaven's."  
"Where you descended taking on the form as a human." Spot grinned.  
Gwen locked eyes with him and she knew for sure.  
"I love you Spot Conlon." Gwen smiled.  
"Would you like to go on a date sometime my princess." Spot grinned tossing his coat around her. She breathed his scent.  
"I'm no princess."  
"You sure look like it." Spot placed his arms around her as they started back for the Lodging House. Gwen nuzzled up close feeling like this was a dream.

Maggie's PoV  
It's been 7 days, 17 hours, and 13 minutes since he left. I couldn't move. My whole body felt numb. I didn't know whether that was from the pain I felt the first 3 days, or whether I was sub-conciosely doing it to myself. Everything that I didn't want to admit was slowly gnawing at my mind. Yes, I loved Jack. No, he didn't love me. Yes, I was the one who drove him away. No, nobody wants me...no one ever will. I faintly heard Mush's voice saying, "Mags, please get out of bed." But I couldn't straighten out the words quickly enough, let alone have the strength to answer. Was this how Jack felt when Sarah dumped him? The pain came back to me. All the pain over the years, not just from Jack, was burning inside of me like a blue flame licking my insides until they were ashes.  
No one ever loved me. Not enough to stay. Mom left when I was three, she never wanted a child and had tried to kill herself when she found out she was pregnant with me. Father was abusive and left me in the street to die...I would have died...if it hadn't been for Spot. Another burst of pain. I did, at one point, love him. It caused me so much heartbreak.  
I heard someone come in, but didn't bother to look up. The first couple of days, I jumped up everytime I heard someone enter, hoping it was Jack. I had lost hope...I had lost him. It was Mush and Specs. Both of them had worried looks on their faces. They tried to pull me up, but my body flopped in their hands like noodles. I plopped back onto my bed.  
"Maggie, you have to get up." Mush whispered in my ear.  
"Everyone's worried about you." Specs knelt down beside my bed. I continued to stare at the wall. When I didn't answer they finally left. I cursed silently as the tears flooded onto my bed.  
No one would ever love me, no one would ever love me, no one would ever love me. I felt utterly hopeless. I did this to myself! I drove him away!

Regular PoV  
Gwen and Spot smiled as they saw the house. They heard the house cheer as they walked in.  
"I knew you two would end up together!"  
"You two are so cute!"  
"God your lucky!"

"Don't get too carried away."  
The Newsies joked at them. Then the newsies fell silent as Mush walked up to Spot his face all serious.  
"As Gwen's brother I have to say this, if you EVER hurt her I'll slice your head in half. I'll take your insides and use them as rope. I'll scratch your eyes out and break your nose." The boys smiled and began to laugh. They patted each other on the back and sat down.  
"So you're happy?" Mush asked.  
Gwen smiled, "I truly am. I know that being with Spot will be a challenge, though."  
"Ouch!" Spot laughed as he faked being hurt.  
"Show a kiss love birds!" The boys began chanting 'kiss.' Gwen and Spot leaned in and kissed hearing the cheers around them.  
Maggie came downstairs. The laughing and cheering stopped. She looked possessed. Her hair was messed up beyond belief, her eyes were blood shot, her cheeks were soaked and red, her lips were bleeding from her biting them to ease the pain in her heart, and her arms had scratches all up and down them. She smiled, "I KNEW IT!" Gwen blushed and grinned sheepishly.  
"Don't they make a lovely couple?" Mush asked wrapping his arm around her as they walked down the stairs.  
"Indeed. Course I'm angry that Spot didn't tell her sooner."  
Gwen looked up at Spot.  
"How long have you felt like that?" Gwen asked curiously.  
"When I first laid eyes on you."  
"HA! When we first met we were scratching at each others throats." Gwen laughed.  
"Okay not right when we met but I've felt like this for a long time!" Spot grinned.  
"That's what all of those questions were about. That's why you wanted to listen about my past."  
Spot nodded his face turning red.  
"HE'S BLUSHING!" The newsies began picking on Spot immediately.  
Maggie laughed. Gwen came and hugged Maggie tightly. "Are you okay?"  
Maggie's face didn't darken, but she stared off into space. "Yeah, I-I'm fine." No one was convinced, but she was downstairs and that's what's important.  
"How's about a celebration for the newly-er- lovebirds?!" Racetrack raised a glass.  
"HUZZAH!"

One week later  
"Maggie, I'm going to Tibby's. Do you want to come?"  
Maggie shrugged.  
"It'll be on me." Gwen shook her bag of coins.  
"I can spare a few hours." Maggie jumped up and grabbed her coat.  
"We'll be at Tibby's. Don't expect us too soon." Gwen called as they left.  
The two best friends walked and talked through the cold and falling snow.  
"So how's it feel to be with Spot?" Maggie nudged Gwen.  
Gwen blushed darkly.  
"It's strange that we've only been on two dates... but I like being with him."  
"That's really good, you know, that things are good between you two!"  
Gwen looked at Maggie. "How ya holdin' up?"  
"Well, you know, good days, bad days." Gwen nodded.  
"I'm glad that you're out of your bed. We was getting worried that you'd died or something."  
Maggie laughed, "That's ridiculous! I'm here now and that's what matters."  
"Ah but sadness and pain are veiled behind your eyes."  
"I'll be...okay. It's just...hard..."  
They went into Tibby's. Maggie got drunk.

"God, man, those were good times! You and me, me and Spot, Jack and Spot-" she started to giggle. Two guys, Oscar and Morris came in and smiled over at them.

"Oh God no! Maggie don't look at them!" Gwen hissed.

"Well, well, well, looky here, Morris. It's dem goil newsies all alone." Oscar chuckled.

"We'll take care of that." Morris and Oscar stood up and began walking over to their table.

"Over my dead body you won't!" Gwen shouted breaking a bottle in half holding it steadily before her. The boys took a step back.

"We've been told that you were being taught by Spot Conlon. What did you have to do to make him?" Oscar asked grinning.

"Was he any good?" Giggled Morris.

"Get up Maggie we're leaving!" Gwen quickly dumped coins on the table, hooked her free arm in Maggie's and began to back out of the door keeping the broken bottle pointed at the Delancy brothers. Once she felt the cold wind on her back and the door was closed she turned around.

"I don't want to leave!" Maggie whined.

"Do you want to spend the night with Morris and Oscar hitting on you?!" Gwen snapped dropping the bottle and taking out the dagger she always kept with her. She stopped as muffled footsteps sounded behind them.

"Can you stand on your own?" Gwen whispered.

"Don't know." Maggie giggled.

Gwen turned around as Morris and Oscar grabbed them. Oscar hooked onto Maggie, as Morris grabbed Gwen. Gwen quickly sliced his wrists and cut his face. She turned to rescue the drunken Maggie. Morris grabbed her around the elbows. Gwen thirsted her foot up between his legs. Turned around and began waving the dagger around like a sword. Morris screamed. Oscar dropped Maggie who fell into the snow. Oscar punched Gwen's back. Gwen turned around and sliced Oscar only to be disarmed by Morris. Maggie grabbed the bottle and began hitting Oscar furiously.

"What's the matter with these girls?" Morris shouted struggling to keep the kicking Gwen. Morris stuffed a sock in her mouth and punched her temple forcing her to black out. Maggie was still hitting him. Oscar punched her as well rendering her unconscious.

"Let's just get them outta here," the boys dragged them into the carriage and drove off.

The Newsies were talking about the most recent headlines when Boot's rushed in panting harshly.

"What's up Boots?" Spot asked.

"They've been kidnapped!"

**A/N (Nikki): I think this is our best chapter yet. Are you intregued? Keep reading.  
A/N (Kayl): I agree with Nikki, this is a really good chapter. I'm happy that this is going as planned...OMG! Maggie and Gwen were kidnapped! Call out the National Guard. Where did Bumlets go? What will happen to Spot? What will happen to Jack?! I guess you'll just have to keep reading...don't kill me! We will put up the next chapter faster if we get alot of reviews so...start typing.MWA! Luvies!**


	9. What Happens In Santa Fe

MAGGIE'S POV  
I woke up with a fierce pain in my right arm and all my muscles were stiff. I tried to open my eyes, but everything was still dark. I realized after a minute of panic that I had gone blind that I was in a very dark room. I couldn't hear anything. Is this death? I guess you really can die of a broken heart...  
Then, it all came back to me. Tibby's, Oscar and Morris, the fight--both of them--and then I had gone unconscious.  
"Gwen..." I tried to call to her through my groggy voice. My mouth felt like it was lined with sandpaper.  
"Maggie?" Gwen's quiet voice answered. "Where are we?"  
"I don't know."  
"This is just great! Morris and Oscar come by knock us unconscious and now we're in a dark room! Can anything get worse!"  
A light turned on. We blinked as we covered our faces. We looked around a long old cellar. The walls were covered in chains.  
"You just had to jinx it!" I hissed.  
Gwen rolled her eyes and they looked up at the person who had turned on the lights. Snyder. I started cursing him off, thinking that agitating him would make him let us go.  
"Language Margaret, language." Snyder clicked his tongue shaking his head.  
"You have no right to call me that!" I snapped.  
"Ladies! I hope you're comfortable." He grinned wickedly.  
"Like you care," I hissed.  
"Well of course I care. I'm sorry you had to be chained up like this, but you girls put up quite a fight."  
We realized that chains were tightly bound on their hands, ankles and necks.  
"Spot taught you well Gwenivere." Snyder began to slowly walk toward them.  
"Don't call me that you son of-" Gwen gasped as the chains pulled her back from killing the man.  
Snyder chuckled darkly. This was all his fault! If Jack had never got sent to the refuge, he would have never had those stupid fantasies about Santa Fe, he probably wouldn't have gotten so hung up on Sarah, and I would still be with him right now. I couldn't help myself. I started to cry.  
"Are you crying because they won't come? You're right, they won't. Because I have the perfect hideout, the perfect spies, and the perfect plan."  
"SHUT UP!" Gwen screamed her face flushed with anger.  
He was right! I knew that Snyder was right! No one would come for me. Spot would come for Gwen I knew that, but I knew that I would be forgotten.  
"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!" Gwen snapped at me.  
"It won't matter if they come or not. They won't be able to pass my army." Snyder smiled wickedly as he wrapped his hands around Gwen's cage bars.  
"It's been a LONG time hasn't it." Snyder whispered to Gwen.  
"I prefer it that way." Gwen hissed. Through my blurry vision I could see Gwen had scrunched herself against the wall. Snyder grinned and began whispering something that I couldn't hear. Whatever it was, it scared Gwen out of her wits. Snyder left the cellar as if he just had a birthday party.

Regular POV  
They all sat in a circle. No one had done anything last night except to look for Maggie and Gwen. Spot, who had been out looking for them, came in. "I just don't get it! They can't kidnap Gwen she's-"  
"Helpless?"  
"Hopeless?"  
"Topless?"  
"What?!" Everyone stared at Skittery, who looked down at the floor. Spot glared at him with a red face, as did Mush.  
"Skittery, keep your fantasies to your self!" David barked. Everyone would have laughed if it hadn't been that time, when Gwen and Maggie were missing. "We have to help Gwen!"  
"And Maggie!" They all looked over at Whistle. His eyes were bloodshot and he was pale as could be.  
Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. Maggie too. They forgot about her. They all knew that Jack needed to know.  
"Someone should tell Jack." David said in an almost inaudiable whisper.  
"I ain't," Mush said.  
"I ain't either," Boots chimed in.  
"Don't look at me!" Racetrack added, nervously.  
"Why don't you do it, Spot?"  
Spot was thrown off by this. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!"  
"Why not?" Boots asked, staying out of Spot's reach.  
"...I promised him," Spot said very quietly.  
"What?" Mush, Blink, Boots, and Race said at the same time leaning in slightly.  
Spot sighed, "that I would...protect 'em."  
"Den you should be da one to tell 'im!" Race said, staying with Boots on the opposite end of the room.  
"Didn't ya here me?"  
"Well, you'se was supposed to protect 'em so, you should go and tell Jack ya lost 'is goilfriend!" Everyone was horribly quiet. They knew for the longest time that there was one thing he couldn't live without: Maggie. He could live without anyone of them, plus Sarah, his mother, all of them. He had even stayed in New York when he could have gone to Santa Fe...all for Maggie. He would not be here if it weren't for Maggie.  
"HE'LL KILL ME!"  
"Bedda you den us!" Specs chimed in. Spot didn't have the strength to take a swing at him or he would have.  
All Spot could say was, "HEY!"  
"Well, it's true!" Blink added. "He has to know, Spot." His voice grew more serious.  
"I know. I know dat he has to know."  
"Then, tell him, Spot," David said in a quiet, grave voice.  
"I don't wanna die!" There was actual concern in his voice.  
Mush put his hands on Spot's shoulders. "...too bad!" He pushed Spot out the door and locked it. Spot began shouting but not heard by the few nervous chuckles of the newsies.

* * *

"How long have we been here?" Gwen asked lying flat on her back.  
"My guess is as good as yours." Maggie sighed.  
"I can't believe this! What's so important about us?" Gwen growled.  
Maggie thought. The two girls looked at each other a similar though in their heads.  
"You're Spot's girlfriend. You're his weakness. I don't know about me." Maggie sighed.  
"Jack," Gwen whispered softly, "You're Jack's weakness! Oh well ain't this grand!" Gwen flopped back onto the ground.  
Maggie chuckled half heatedly.  
"What's so funny?" Gwen sat up.  
"That idea! Where did you get that thought?" Maggie shook her head grinning.  
"Everyone knows."  
"HA! That's funny."  
"I'm being serious."  
"So was I. It's not possible. We may have been friends but nothing more."  
Gwen sighed knowing that it was a lost cause to convince Maggie.  
"Do you think they'll come for us?" Gwen asked staring at the black ceiling.  
"They'll come for you." Maggie muttered.  
"Don't say such things! If I could walk over there I'd smack some sense into you!"  
"Stop it Gwen. You know I'm right. I'm just another person taking up space and air." Maggie sighed.  
"No you're not!" Gwen said dangerously quiet.  
"No one's loved me. And when I was with Bumlet's-"  
"The biggest mistake you've made in your life." Gwen muttered.  
"He disappeared."  
"Because he's selfish! What made you go to him anyway?" Gwen snapped.  
"Because of Jack!" I snapped. "Because Jack doesn't care about me, okay?"  
"Don't be silly, of course he-"  
"No, Gwen, he doesn't! He told me so. He told me the night that we found out Sarah was pregnant, okay?"  
"...What did he say?" Gwen was shocked.  
"He said he didn't want to ruin our friendship."  
"Maggie, that doesn't mean-"  
"He was trying to spare my feelings! I'm sick of waiting for him to love me!" Maggie started sobbing. "That's why I went to Bumlets! At least he gave a damn about me!" 

Spot got off the train. It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon. He went over the places Jack could be at two in the afternoon. He searched all over town for Jack, not sure if he wanted to find him. Finally, he went into a restaurant. There were three girls, surrounding someone in a circle. "So, I'se says, 'dat's da power a' da press, Joe, Tanks for teachin' me!'" Jack's voice boomed his heroic tale of the strike that seemed like ancient history to the newsies.  
"THERE YA ARE!" Spot walked up to his friend.  
"Spot?" Jack had a look of utter confusion on his face.  
"I need to talk to ya."  
"Can't it wait?" He hissed looking at the beautiful girls surrounding him.  
Spot clenched his teeth, getting angry, "no, it can't." Jack rolled his eyes. "It's about Maggie." Jack's eyes tinted with concern looked at Spot.  
"Okay, fine..." He slid off the stool and followed him to another room.  
Spot sighed, "They've got 'em."  
"Got who?" Jack's eyes were dangerous.  
"Gwen...and Maggie."  
He was turning red with anger. "Who's got 'em, Spot?"  
"...Oscar and Morris..."  
"WHAT?" Jack had completely exploded. "SPOT, I TOLD YA TO TAKE CARE OF DEM! ESPECIALLY MAGGIE!"  
"WELL," Spot was getting mad too, "IF YA HADN'T LEFT, GWEN WOULDN'T A' TAKEN MAGGIE OUT TO GO AND GET DRUNK AND GOTTEN KIDNAPPED!"  
"WELL I-" Jack stopped. "Gwen took Maggie out to get drunk?"  
"Yeah! She needed something to get her mind off of ya! The first week you were gone, she barely moved. She stayed in 'er bed an' wouldn't eat or sleep. She just stared at the wall. The only thing that got 'er up outta bed was the fact that Gwen and I were dating!" His voice was getting quieter, but he was still pissed.  
"Oh yeah? What about her precious Bumlets?"  
"He left right after you did."  
"Then, that's probably what she's upset about!"  
"Jack, she still has nightmares! She had a really bad one a couple nights ago. All she could do was scream out your name and cry. She never cared about Bumlets-- you and I both know that!"  
Jack was silenced. Did he know that? He did.  
"You and Gwen are dating?" Jack asked quietly.  
"That's beside the point!" Spot snapped his face glowing red.  
"Where'd they take 'em?"  
"We don't know. We do know that you have to come back to Manhattan. We'll figure it out then." The boys rushed outside ignoring the whimpers of the dancers.  
"There won't be a train for hours." Jack hissed.  
"We'll take horses." Spot handed a pair of reins over to Jack before mounting a snowy white horse. They rode out praying that they'd make it in time.

Maggie and Gwen remained silent, not knowing what to say during this uncomfortable silence.  
"What did he say?" Maggie croaked.  
"Who?"  
"Snyder. Before he left. He said it had been a long time and... then he said something else. What happened?"  
Gwen looked down hiding behind her hair drawing swirls in the ground. She remained quiet hoping that she couldn't see her tears.  
"Gwen?"  
Gwen took a deep breath and looked up.  
"It was a long time ago, Maggie. It's a long story and..." Gwen stopped forcing herself to breathe.  
"We have plenty of time." Maggie smiled scooting closer to the bars that divided them.  
"I... I don't remember how old I was. I was-lured into a place where a bag was thrown over me. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't fight. I was tied into a chair in a dark room by a fireplace. I watched as Snyder came up to me grinning. He said that I was- a pretty one." Gwen shivered. "He came up to me, stroking my face and examining me. I..." Gwen couldn't fight the tears. She tried to force them back without success.  
Maggie bit her lip. She couldn't reach over and comfort her.  
"He- he tried to... he said he would pay- me." Gwen sobbed. She seemed like a different person. She was truly afraid, truly sad.  
"I said I-I'd never do it. He hit me and asked me again. I refused, he hit me harder. I kept screaming that I wouldn't. He'd grown frustrated and tore my shirt in half." Gwen cried through her hands ashamed of the event.  
"He... he was... unbuckling his pants when Mush and some old friends of ours came in. They drove him out." Gwen screamed as the memory surrounded her, haunted her dreams, staying one step behind.  
"Is-is that why you wanted to learn to fight."  
"I felt weak and helpless! I was so close to breaking Jack's arms when he refused to teach me. So I decided to go to Brooklyn."  
"...Does Spot know?" Was all Maggie could say.  
"No...he doesn't." Her voice was grim. Maggie shivered and then remembered something.  
"Why didn't you tell me? Where was I?"  
Gwen wouldn't look up. Her eyes were hurt and dazed. She was a different person.  
"I-I couldn't tell you... I can't explain-"  
"Then try."  
Gwen breathed in counting to five, held, and slowly let it out.  
"I can't tell you everything Maggie. It's not the kind of thing you'd want to hear."  
"But keeping it to yourself is worse!" Maggie protested.  
"That's just how I roll. I haven't cried in so long. I think I shut off my emotions... long ago."  
"Please tell me! I'm your friend! You've told me this much, why stop there?"  
"I just can't explain it. I guess I thought that... you would pity me. Feel ashamed of me. Become so protective that I wouldn't be able to breathe. I thought you would think I was weak and needed protection. I hate that." Gwen whispered.  
"Gwen, you should know that I could never think those things about you! You are the bravest person I've ever met!" Gwen's silence was filled with skepticism. "Listen, when you were all confused about Spot...you were still you! You still acted the way you do. You didn't turn into a hermit and hide under the covers wishing for death..."  
"Maggie, that's hardly the same!" Gwen said it firmly.  
"You're right! After everything that's happened to you...I would have killed myself by now. But not you...you just keep on going. That's bravery. It doesn't matter that the jack ass we call Snyder tried to..." she gulped, not being able to say it.  
"Well, you've made it this far as well! You went through a hard time and you still lived." Gwen whispered.  
"Because Spot saved me. I'd hardly call that bravery."  
"I do! When you recovered you continued to live despite that. Them with Jack, you didn't kill yourself then."  
"I was killing myself. I didn't do anything. Eat, sleep, move, nothing."  
"But you did live."  
"Because of all of the noise you all were making." Maggie grinned.  
Gwen blushed, "I suppose. But that was with your will! You chose to come downstairs when you could've stayed in bed."  
The girls looked at the floor.  
"So what do we do about this?" Maggie asked.  
"If we had the right tools I'd have said, break out, but I don't see how."

Jack and Spot arrived at the Newsboy's Lodging House two days later. None of the newsies had done anything but look for Gwen and Maggie. The ones who were there, David and Mush, who had been put in charge to protect the little ones while the rest of them went out searching, saw Jack and ran over to him. They bombarded him with a million questions.  
"Jack!!!!" Mush started, "Why the hell did you leave, you fricken idiot?" Mush gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.  
Jack smiled, "I hate Bumlets."  
They grinned and began planning and suggesting.  
"He would have to have an old easy to look past place." David said.  
"It could be anywhere! His workplace, the mayor's place, an abandoned theatre, who knows!?" Mush snapped.  
"He must have guards patrolling around." Spot murmured thoughtfully.  
"Maybe but where could you go that having a bunch of guards around looks natural?" David asked.  
"What about the prison?" Jack suggested.  
"We've checked there." Mush sighed.  
"Where could they be?" Spot hissed banging his fist on the table, hearing a crack as he dented it.  
"Anywhere." Jack rubbed his face with his hands leaning on the table.  
Spot put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, Jack, we'll find them." His voice was soft, but serious. He had already let one girl go...he wasn't going to let go of the only girl who he had ever really loved.

* * *

**A/N (Kayl): FINALLY! A NEW CHAPTER! I know...been a while...I've been busy! You try being me! So...what will happen next? Coley?**

**A/N (Nicole):The past is chatching up with the present, will the girls be set free? Of course! Alive? well... don't count on it. Enjoy!**


	10. Girl in the Red Dress

"I have thought about it." Gwen said quietly staring at the ceiling.  
Maggie raised her head, "thought about what?"  
"Killing myself."  
Maggie squinted in the gloom.  
"Then I thought about how selfish that would be. Ending my life without thinking about how much it would hurt everyone else. So I didn't."  
"I never thought about it that way." Maggie laid her head down.  
"Not many people do. They just think that they'll finally have peace. It's sad but true." Gwen sighed.  
"It is." Both of them thought about how it would feel if the other one were to die. Maggie started sniffing.  
"Maggie?"  
"Gwen, I'm glad you didn't!" She wished more than anything that she could hug her friend.

"I keep telling you, they're not here!" Racetrack hissed as they climbed the wall of the jail.  
"I want to be sure!" Spot snapped as he looked through the windows.  
"Fine!... are they there?"  
"I-I'm not seeing them." Spot sighed and motioned for them to start back down.  
"He's really done it this time! I'm going to kill him!" Jack spat on the ground.  
"Who knows what he'll do. Look at what he did last time!" Mush clenched his teeth.  
Spot stopped, "last time?"  
Mush knew almost the second that the words came out of his mouth that he shouldn't have said anything. Jack gave Mush a glare.  
"Well, if they're not here we should probably-"  
"Mush, what happened?"  
Mush knew he'd have to say it. "Wait until we get back...I don't wanna talk about it here."  
When they got back home, all the younger kids were in bed. Mush could have shot his sister in the foot for not telling Spot before. They all sat down and watched Mush.  
"A little while ago, right before she went to Brooklyn, Gwen was kidnapped." Spot's eyes widened. "By Snyder. That's how we know it's not just Oscar and Morris. Anyway, he kidnapped her and-" he was trying to find the right words, "he tried to...her shirt was torn when we--Jack and I--came in...that's why she went to Brooklyn." The silence was overpowering and awkward.  
"HE WHAT?!!!!!!!" Spot jumped up his face bright red, a face so furious and enraged that could have scared the devil.  
"Tell me exactly what happened." Spot hissed his voice quiet and threatening.  
Mush's breath was caught in his throat. His face grew pale as Spot's was shoved in his.  
"It was late that night and we were doing business. Maggie I believe was at Tibby's with Gwen. Gwen got mad at something and left. I don't know. She was kidnapped. We came back to see that no one was home. Maggie came in and said that she thought that she was with us. WE searched everywhere. When we found her..."  
"Go on." Spot's grip on his shouldered tightened so much that Mush thought that his circulation had been cut off.  
"He... was about to..." Mush cut off.  
"Rape her?" Spot clenched his teeth. Mush nodded. Spot burst out of the door and began storming down the street.  
"SPOT!" The other Newsies followed him.  
"I'LL KILL HIM!" Spot shouted . None of the newsies were about to disagree with his decision. They all loved Gwen and hated Snyder. It seemed that nobody remembered Maggie. No one except Jack. All he could think about is how this was all his fault.

"When exactly did it happen, Gwen?" Gwen was shocked. Maggie hadn't said a word for the longest time. They had no idea how long; the room was kept dark and food was only brought in twice a day...bread, cheese, and water. It was brought in by Snyder, who tried something new with Gwen each time. And each time, he got kicked in several areas when she could reach.  
"What?"  
"When did it happen?" Maggie repeated.  
"Um... we went to Tibby's... I told you that I was going to get the guys from... I can't remember... but on the way... that's when I was caught." Gwen responded wondering what that had to do with anything.  
"Oh..."  
"Maggie, why do you ask?" Maggie crawled back up and wouldn't answer Gwen. The next couple of days, or what seemed like it, Maggie was in a trance, not caring what was going on around her. Not that anything was; Gwen would say something every once in a while to make sure she hadn't lost her voice or anything.  
"Ok, why aren't you saying anything?! I've been waiting for some explanation and I would think that I deserved one. Besides this is EXACTLY like what happened when Jack left!" Gwen snapped.  
Maggie stayed still.  
"Fine, don't say anything. I'll just guess. Maybe you were the reason I left. Or maybe you were the reason we went to Tibby's. Or Jack told you to get me away. Or maybe I just left for a reason I can't remember!"  
Maggie started sobbing, but never said a word.

"Five days. Five days, and we don't know where they are! We're the finest of the newsies...and we can't find two goils?" Spot smashed his fists against the wall. Jack was wringing a glass so tightly his knuckles were white.  
"It's that damn Snyder. He knows us." Mush paced around the room trying to find a loophole.  
"I know. Where would he put two girls to keep away from us?" Racetrack looked at the ceiling as if asking it for the answer.  
"A place that we can't find." Crutchy muttered. Jack looked up.  
"Do you think they could be underground?" Jack asked.  
They all looked at him.  
"BRILLIANT!"  
"Of course! It's the greatest place to put them! Where would they be?" Racetrack turned to Jack.  
"An old abandoned 'haunted' burned down place?" Spot suggested.  
"Where'd we find a place like that?" Kid-Blink asked.  
"Queens?" Jack said.  
"Let's go to Queens!" Racetrack shouted.  
"First to Brooklyn. Who knows what might happen." Spot said.

"How long have we been here?" Gwen asked.  
Maggie didn't respond.  
"It seems like years but I know that can't be it." Gwen scoffed.  
"Do they ever turn on the lights? No of course not. Then we could actually see." Gwen continued.  
There was a knock on the door.  
"Oh, ladies." Lights were turned on. The girls covered their faces from the light.  
"Oh I see we left you in the dark too long." Snyder slowly came in grinning like a poor man that got all the gold in the world.  
"What do you want?" Gwen hissed too disgusted to say his name.  
"I wanted to give you a present." Snyder whispered.  
"I don't accept gifts from old transgenders."  
"Ouch. You should be nicer to your kidnappers."  
"You didn't kidnap us. Oscar and Morris did." Gwen grumbled. Maggie appeared to be asleep.  
"Now, now don't be so sour." Snyder grinned.  
Gwen paused and thought.  
"You're right."  
"I am?" Snyder was shocked.  
"Yes. I guess I was just so negative because... because I was supposed to hate you but... but I didn't."  
"Oh?" Snyder didn't believe her.  
She nodded.  
"Then you wouldn't mind putting this on?" Snyder grinned as he pulled out a bright red dress. Gwen grinned and stood up.  
"I can't put on a dress in these chains." Gwen said softly.  
Snyder came in but locked the door behind him. He unchained her and gave her the dress.  
"Turn around." Gwen ordered. Snyder turned around completely satisfied. Gwen quickly put on the dress. It was tight at the chest and waist but the skirt was short but flowing.  
"Okay." Snyder turned around, his jaw fell open.  
"Well, now! Aren't you a sight."  
"Run along now." Gwen got up close to Snyder a sly grin on her face.  
"I don't wanna." Snyder pouted sadly chaining her back up.  
"Someone might have gotten by. And you don't want anyone taking us away... do you?" Gwen looked straight into his eyes and pouted herself. Snyder left, worried that the Newsies had found them. He locked the door behind him and scuttled up the stairs. Gwen ran to a corner, hurling her intestines out.  
"I NEVER want to do that again." As terrible as she felt Gwen looked satisfied though at the long thin metal buckle peice.

They arrived in Queens early in the morning. "So...where should we check foist?"  
"We'll split up and try everywhere. Let's go in groups of three and report back here at the theatre at four." Spot commanded. Jack began pairing everyone off making sure that he, Spot, and Mush were in one group.  
"You'll take take that alley. You're group will go by the market. We'll take this alley by here. No buts!" Jack motioned them to leave. The groups scattered about thinking of the best places to go.

"Maggie? C'mon! You have barely talked since we've been here! Say somthing!" Maggie refused to move or open her mouth to speak.  
She just stared, unblinkingly, at the wall.  
"You know this is what I hate about you! You think that you're life is sooooo miserable. But when I ask you you ALWAYS say 'oh I'm fine don't worry about me.' Well I'm sick of it! I want you to say something! Even if it's just 'shut up I'm tired.' This is NOT the end of the world Margret!" Gwen snapped. She was losing it and wanted to smack some sense into Maggie. But she didn't for two reasons. One- she couldn't reach her. And two- that's just not a thing she would do to a friend even when she was in chains and the only company she had with her wouldn't talk.

JACK'S POV  
We walked down the alley. How could this have happened? All I wanted was to leave my thoughts of her in New York and live out the rest of my life in the company of older girls in shorter dresses in Santa Fe. There was just one thing wrong with that idea. No matter how much I drank or how beautiful the girl I was kissing was, I never forgot about Maggie. I had missed her desperatly. I was going to come back to New York in only a couple days and confess my true feelings for Maggie. The thought lingered at the back of my mind: What if I never do. What if we never find her? Or if we find her and it's too late? Or if she was too mad at me to ever care the same way about me? I don't think I could take that kind of heart break...again.  
"What's wrong?" Spot looked at me with those stupid all-knowing eyes.  
"Just thinking." I muttered.  
"Oh." Spot looked at the ground.  
"We'll find them." Mush stated firmly. I didn't believe that he believed his own words, neither did Spot. There was an awkward pause as we searched the buildings that looked suspicious. We found nothing. As time ticked on, my heart grew louder and louder.  
"Maybe the entire buildins underground." Mush suggested at last.  
"Maybe." Spot shrugged.  
I grew angry. How could Spot be so calm right now? He just lost his girl and he's just shrugging?! I changed my mind when I saw him wipe blood from his mouth. He's biting his lip just so that he wouldn't scream and break everything in sight. I sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

Regular PoV  
"Maggie? C'mon, it's been a really long time." Maggie hadn't eaten the bread and cheese...she had just given it all to Gwen and stayed in her state of...whatever is was. This was really worrying and annoying Gwen. She just wanted her to say something or eat something. If she could reach over to Maggie she would've shoved food down her throat long ago.  
"Please say something. Anything!" Gwen pleaded. Tears stung her eyes. With the lights turned off she worried that she died. Only the little shuffle of Maggie turning over gave her comfort.  
"Fine!" Gwen struggled to break off a long thin peice of her tray. She stomped on it, she twisted it, she even tried to bite it. Finally it broke off. She stomped over to her door taking the buckle and tray peice in her hand. The chains pulled her to the ground. She cursed silently. She stood back up and reached as far as she could. It was only inches away. She pulled harder the cold metal biting into her skin. She gritted her teeth and pulled harder. Gwen heard something creak behind her but paid no attantion to it. She gave up on the door and started working on the chains on her ankles. Click! One off. The second one came off more quickly. Gwen fought with difficulty to get the chains off. They were off. She worked on the one that bound her neck. She fiddled with the metal bits get more and more frustrated as time ticked on. Click! She rushed over to the door trying to unlock it as fast as she could.  
"Thank you Spot." Gwen looked up at the ceiling greatfull that Spot had taken some time to teach her to pick locks. The door unlocked. Gwen ever so slowly pushed the door open inch by inch. She slipped out quietly and started on Maggie's door. She bit her lip red drops of blood crawled from underneath her skin. She heard the click and slowly pulled it open. She slipped in and felt around for Maggie. She jumped back when her finger tips met a bone.  
"Oh please don't let her be dead." She grasped it feeling a bony arm. Gwen hurridly began working on her locks. One by one they came off. Gwen was horrified. If she had a mallet she could've played a tune on Maggie's ribs. She took a deep breath a slung Maggie on her shoulder. She quietly creeped out and started walking toward where she thought the door was.

Footsteps came up from behind them. Jack jumped and turned around to see who it was. He sighed with relief as it was just Blink and Race.  
"JACK!" The three looked over at them.  
Blink smiled happily, "we think we've found it!" They followed Blink and Race to a regular old warehouse.  
Spot and Jack stood at the back in silence. Suddenly, Spot wispered, "it's not fair, Jack!"  
Jack was surprised and looked up. "What's no fair?"  
"Gwen is a good girl--the best I've ever met! It's not fair that these things happened to her. Same with Maggie...was Snyder ever attracted to Maggie like that?"  
Jack smiled a little to remember the memory. "Once," he laughed a tiny bit and shook his head, "and Maggie kicked him in a very delicate spot." Both boys stood there wondering. Why, then, did they kidnapp Maggie? And then, Jack instantly knew why. She was bait. Jack felt sick at the thought that he was causing Maggie even more pain.  
"Spot, make me a promise?" Spot nodded. "What ever happens to me, promise that you'll get Maggie outta there and not let her do anything stupid for me?"  
Spot immediatly grabbed his shoulders.  
"Jack, pull yourself together! I will get Maggie out but you're coming with us, understand!?" Jack was shocked at the tone that Spot was taking. It was the most serious and worried tone Jack had heard.  
"I just don't want to cause her anymore trouble." Jack sighed.  
"It's because you wouldn't be with her that caused the most trouble." Spot said quietly. He quickly left and started talking to Blink.  
"So where is this place?"  
"In a cliff." Race stated.  
"A cliff?" Spot was astounded.  
"Yeah. We saw someone come out. We looked and found a knocker." Blink explained.  
"Alright. We're gonna search that cliff for another way in, get our smallest boy to find what's inside."

Gwen's hand ran over a knob. She cautiously opened it admitting a bright light. She tried not to scream when she saw Maggie's white foot dangling below. She breathed slowly and crept out. White corridors. Every last inch was a blazing white.  
"Easier to find people that way. Smart Snyder but we're leaving." Gwen promised.  
She rushed into an open door that lead down a dark green hallway. She looked through the window to see men dressed in strange clothes patrolling the hallway. She took slow even breaths. This place was highly secured. She looked around only to find walls. She glanced up. Something was strange about the ceiling. She walked in a circle seeing a small, nearly non-noticealbe bump. She wouldn't be able to reach it on her own.  
"Magg, Maggie please say something." Maggie didn't.  
"Please Maggie. If you open that-door up there we may be able to get out." Gwen whispered excitedly.  
Maggie let out the tiniest moan and didn't move. Gwen bit her lip nearly tearing it. She looked around and saw another pair pass by the other side of the door. She ducked.  
"That's it." She whispered. She looked to see that the people were long gone. Gwen silently opened the door towards herself. She hoisted up standing on the door handle and clutched the ceiling knob. She yanked hard. A few flakes dusted down. Gwen tugged again. It was an inch open. She gripped the door with her knees, with quite a bit of dificulty with the tiny red dress on, as she used both hands to pull. It flew open leaving a hole big enough for a person to climb through. Gwen jumped down and picked up Maggie. She struggled to climb back onto the door but succeeded. She carefully pushed Maggie up and into that small dark space.  
Gwen was scared of small dark places, but she was even more scared of being a prisoner of Snyder. She jumped out of her skin when she head someone.  
"Get down from there nice and slow and we won't hurt you." She looked to see the two gaurds pointing strange guns at her. Holding herself onto the door with her hands, she snatched a gun and bashed both directly in the temples. Gwen put the gun up with Maggie and quickly climbed in hearing an alarm. She spead up.

Outside, they heard a very loud alarm going off. This confirmed that the girls were in there. They all knew that if there was an alarm going off or a fire or explosion, it had something to do with Songbird and Gwen.  
Jack, Spot, Mush and a few other Newsies ran over to the sound not daring to wait for the others.  
"They must have escape." Spot panted.  
"How?"  
"Does that matter?! We'll question them later. For now we have to get them before they do." Spot sped up his mind imagining every terrifying possibility that might be happening at that very second. Suddenly, the alarms stopped, as did their hearts. Jack and Spot broke down the front door. They looked in a room with gaurds everywhere. The battle began. Spot disarmed one gaurd, and tossed it over to Jack. Jack shot down the gaurds that came running to him. Mush had one gaurd under his arm, using him as a human sheild. Blink twisted a gun out of another gaurds hands smashing it into two gaurds temples. Race strangled a gaurd and threw him into a pack that was charging towards them. They ran into many other rooms, none of which had Maggie or Gwen, just more gaurds to kill.

"Dammit where are they!" Spot shouted.

Back flash

The alarm kept going echoing throught the vents. Gwen held the gun tightly in her teeth using both arms to keep Maggie with her.

"Up in the ceiling!" She heard someone shout cocking a gun.

"They're gonna shoot !" She covered her head and Maggie's as bullets were fired at them. She grabbed her gun as they reloaded. Gwen began firing where she predicted they were. She heard the screams of pain and agony. She clenched the gun in her teeth and began heading toward the alarm sound. It grew louder and louder until the sound was under neath them. Gwen used the gun to blow a hole around them, dropping them into the room. It was a large machanical looking room. She glanced around seeing the red flashing light. She gingerly placed Maggie in a chair. The red light was connected to a large keyboard.

"Damn Snyder." Gwen hissed. She started searching through the entire room looking for something that might be a password.

"Dragger77? No... Snyder Witershfeild? No..." Then something dawned on her.

May-26-1899 Gwen entered it and the sound stopped.

May-26 was the day that Snyder had kidapped Gwen.

"You're needed in room 27A. GO!" There was the sound of fading footsteps. Gwen slowly opened the door, Maggie under one arm, the gun in the other.

"Well, well, well. That was smart going into the vent. But did you really think you could get away from me?" Snyder grinned. Gwen held up the gun to his heart pulling the trigger. Nothing happened.

"Looks like you're out of ammo." Gwen threw the gun hitting snyder directly in the face. She made a break for it not sure where she was running to. Anyone who was in the way later said that they were rendered unconscious by a girl in a red dress.

**A/N (Coley):well, we're at the peak of suspense...and i think it's awsome...i dont see why ppl aren't reading it so...REVIEW!!!**

**A/N (Kayl): I agree with the loony toon! review will you? i do really think its good!**


	11. Fine

**diclaimer:we dont own it. derr.**

Gwen tore apart anyone that got in her way. She knew that freedom was close and she had to get it. She stopped. The scene before her was shocking, something that she thought wouldn't have happened. Jack, Spot, Mush, Blink, Race and all the other Newsies were on one side of the room. The other side was what caught her attention. The guards stood there with Bumlet's in the lead.

Jack and Spot stopped. There, across the room, stood guards. But that wasn't what surprised them. What was surprising was the fact that Bumlet's and Queen's Newsies were standing with them.  
"Why hello Jack, Spo-" Bumlet's grinned maniacally.  
"You son of a bitch!" Spot shouted.  
"Now now, be kind boys. I'm on the side that has your girlfriends. You wouldn't want me to do something... drastic."  
"You can't." Spot turned to see Gwen in a tight little red dress with Maggie slung over her shoulder.  
"Gwen."  
"Not now." She mouthed.  
"You got out." Bumlet's face turned pasty white, then his face contorted itself into a demonic smile.  
"Yes. You shouldn't be surprised." Gwen said coolly.  
"Why did you do it?" Jack asked.  
"Are you seriously wanting to talk? I thought you were all about fighting."  
"Just answer." Mush growled.  
"Ooh, I'm scared! In case you haven't noticed, we have more people than you."  
"You'd be surprised." Glider called. Then Brooklyn came rushing in armed and all.  
"We came when we heard the alarm." Counts explained to Spot.  
"Well, well... this is gonna get interesting." Bumlet's side charged, shouting. Brooklyn and Manhattan lifted their weapons.  
"Fire!" Spot called. Arrows, rocks, even dirty diapers were flung across the room.  
"Reload! Front defend!" David called. The first few lines held off till the archers were ready.  
"Fire!" Jack screamed. Guards and Newsies went down, arrows stuck inside them. Then it became an all in war.  
"JACK!" Gwen shoved Maggie into his arms grabbing a fallen sword. She sliced away at the enemy furiously. She used the handle of the sword to break a Queen's ribs. Then she thrusted her sword forward into the chest of a guard. Gwen took his weapon.  
"Gwen weapon!" Counts called. Gwen tossed him a gun before returning to her own battle. She and Spot were back to back.  
"Gwen up and over." Spot whispered. They linked arms. Spot pulled Gwen up and over his back. They resumed the fight.  
"Spot!" Jack handed Maggie to him, "gotta get in this!" Jack took a gun shooting down the enemy.  
"Gwen!" Gwen turned agreeing to take Maggie. This went on for who knows how long.  
"He's running!" Glider called, pointing to the retreating Bumlet's.  
"Let's get him!" Some of the Newsies raced off, leaving the others to finish the rest of the enemies. They ran around a corner, losing sight of him.  
"Three to the left. Four to the front, the rest of us will take the right." Jack commanded. Everyone was separated. Spot, Glider, and David took the left. Gwen, the unconscious Maggie, Counts, and Mush took the front leaving Jack, Race, Blink, and Skittery to go left.  
"There he is!" Mush shouted. Bumlet's sped up as did the group. Gwen handed Maggie to Mush and tackled Bumlet's to the ground.  
"Come quietly and you won't be killed." Gwen hissed, putting him in a hand and headlock. Gwen lifted Bumlets to him feet turning the other way around.  
"Well, well, well..." they heard a voice. They all turned around to see Snyder standing on a platform...with Maggie in his arms, "I do think you should let him go--or kill him--it doesn't really matter to me."  
Gwen, Spot, and Jack all stood in panic. Mush was laying on the ground with a wound in his right shoulder. Gwen raced over to her brother.  
"What the hell did you do to him?"  
Snyder motioned to Oscar, who was standing there with a bloody pocket knife in his hand. Snyder moved his hand up Maggie's thigh. This could not have angered Jack more. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He was blocked by a bunch of Queen's newsies.  
He let out a strange snarl, "let her go you son of a bitch, or I'll castrate you!" He tried to get through the army of newsies holding him back.  
Snyder just smiled. He knew he was winning. "See, Sarah, I told you that choosing Maggie would be a good move. He's completely hopeless without her." He lightly kissed the unconscious forehead.  
Jack growled with anger.  
"Sarah?" David was stunned. Sarah walked around a corner, holding her belly.  
"Hello, brother." It didn't sound like Sarah. The voice that spoke was dark.  
"Damn you bitch." Gwen gasped.  
"I wouldn't say such a thing if I were you. I'm on the side that could easily kill your friend." Sarah smiled evilly.  
"Let her go or-!" Jack started.  
"You'll what? You could kill us but we'd kill this... thing." Oscar turned slightly toward Maggie a disgusted look on his face.  
"I don't see why you like her so much. She's not worth anything, except for sex." Snyder licked Maggie's cheek in a very disturbing way.  
This got all the Newsies battling against Snyder's army.  
"I thought you were in love with Gwen." Race panted.  
"I am but... she's not as important to me." Snyder shrugged, "I've won. And there's nothing you can do about it. I sent my spies to watch you for days. They reported back to me saying that Gwen decided to go with that horrid thing," Snyder nodded to Spot. Spot bared his teeth wolf-like.  
There was a short pause before Snyder continued.  
"Then dear Bumlets told me about Maggie and Jack."  
"You dishonest bastard!" Spot struck Bumlets. Blood crawled down the side of his face blending with the sweat.  
"It was like music to my ears. Hearing that dear old Jack and this tramp had a secret love! It wouldn't have lasted though."  
"Why was it so important to you?" Gwen asked.  
"I thought you knew. On that special, but ruined, night for me. I want Jack dead. Ever since the strike it's been my goal to get rid of him."  
"You mean kill him." Gwen stated calmly.  
"Yes."  
"Then why did you kidnap Gwen?" Spot asked coldly.  
"I wanted her to be mine but I'll get that soon enough." Snyder grinned.  
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Spot began bashing in heads only to have been stopped and pinned down by some Queen Newsies along with everyone else.  
"I would kill you but your not important to me... besides the fact you helped him." Snyder's face contorted into a mixture of anger and a vicious growl.  
"What do you want?" Glider asked struggling against the Newsies and guards.  
"I'll let Maggie go, if I get to kill Jack." Snyder grinned crookedly.  
A spell of shock went through all of their bodies. Jack or Maggie? No one knew what to do. They all knew that in the end it would be Jack's choice. They all looked at Jack, who stared intently at Maggie. He had loved her ever since Spot had dragged in a little flesh-covered skeleton with blue eyes and black hair. He knew even before Snyder had ever talked about this what he would do--if it was a matter of his life or hers...he'd gladly take his away for hers. Jack slowly walked past the guards and made his way on the platform.  
Then, in an almost impossibly quick motion, Oscar's knife was gone from his hand and at Snyder's throat. Maggie held the back of his coat and the knife.  
"Maggie!" Gwen screamed.  
"I heard every word. How DARE you play a trick like this!" Maggie looked at Jack," and how dare you for so carelessly taking his offer!"  
"You know as well as I do that I would have done anything for you." Maggie's face paled, then she suddenly blushed.  
"You idiot." Maggie smiled.  
"This isn't over yet wench!" Snyder gasped.  
"What do you guys think? Should I kill him?" Maggie asked evilly.  
"KILL HIM!" The Newsies screamed.  
It was like a dream. In one second he was gone. Blood was spurting out of his throat. Maggie let go of his body. It flopped to the floor like a rag-doll. The world froze. No one moved. Gwen walked up to the corpse an terrifying look on her face. She grabbed a sword from the closest person and stood by what was Snyder.  
"Damn you forever. I hope Hell will be torture for you." She whispered so softly only Maggie heard those words. Gwen took the sword and beheaded Snyder. Gwen dropped the head and the sword and turned to Maggie. Both girls teared up and smiled. They ran to each other in a breath-taking hug.  
The Newsies cheered and jeered at the remaining and retreating enemy.  
"You scared me to death." Gwen hissed through her tears.  
"I know I did."  
Something grabbed Maggie around the waist and she let out a small yelp. She turned around and Jack cupped her face in his hands. The world went spinning by as he leaned in towards her and they kissed. Every Newsie who wasn't unconscious was looking over at them. Spot and Gwen followed suit and kissed. Mush seemed to be the only one who was disgusted. Gwen and Spot separated.  
"I was searching for the love of my life but I seem to have instead found a princess." Spot whispered a smile upon his face.  
"What do you mean?" Gwen puzzled.  
"The dress." Spot grinned.  
"What? I can wear a dress!" Gwen smiled but pushed Spot away, hands on her hips.  
"Yes but... you look too good in a dress."  
"You are such a liar and suck up." Gwen kissed him again. Spot picked her up around the waist and spun her around.  
"God, can't anyone get a room around here?!" Mush snapped.  
"No!" Gwen laughed.  
Jack and Maggie's kiss ended.  
"Why did you leave?" Maggie asked.  
Jack sighed, "I thought that if I left... that you would be happier."  
"How could you think that? I've loved you for so long... I nearly died because you left!"  
"I know. I'm sorry... Why did you go out with Bumlet's?"  
"I wanted to make you jealous." Maggie shrugged.  
The couple stared laughing.  
"We're idiot's." Maggie chuckled.  
"I propose we get drunk and celebrate!" Blink shouted.  
"I propose that Jack proposes before Maggie has the chance to get away again!" Itey called out. Everyone looked over at Jack, who smiled and got down on one knee. He grabbed Maggie's hand.  
"Margaret Gweniviere Efram," Jack grinned insanely, "will you marry me?"  
Before Jack could finish his sentence, Maggie had thrown her arms around him and cried, "YES! Yes," she kissed him, "I-" another kiss, "love-" another kiss, "you!" She started crying tears of true happiness. Blink brought out some alcoholic beverages to celebrate.

"That's is so sweet. It's like we have a fairy tale ending." Gwen sighed at the engaged couple.

"Yeah." Spot said strangely.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Look if you feel pressured that you have to propose to me, you should know you don't have to."

"So understanding. So smart. So beautiful. But so short." Spot grinned in a jokingly manner.

"Oh, you're going down!" Gwen couldn't help but smile at the circumstance. Before she could do anything Spot had her in his arms.

"You can't do anything when I'm holding you." Spot whispered. Gwen leaned her head against his chest.

"You know... I'm almost kind of sad that we won so soon."

"So soon? You were trapped down there for at least five days!"

"It just seems like the world is at peace. No more adventures."

"Of course there will be adventures! Jack and Maggie are getting married! That's going to be more adventure than any of us can handle."

Gwen punched his chest lightly.

"Well, they have us to keep them from doing something stupid."

"Or for doing something stupid with." They laughed at the ever so true comment.

**A/N (Coley):And so...our story "ends". but like in life, nothing can stay perfect for long...**

**A/N (kayl): HEEY!!! it's been funn...and we are think of fresh stuff...so dont worry. pls R&R andwe will luv u 4ever!!!!!**


End file.
